, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA i 
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fl Happy Year; 



OR, 



THE YEAR SANCTIFIED 



By Meditating on the Maxims and Sayings of the Saints. 




ABBE /LASAUSSE. 



Translated from the French 
BY 




New York, Cincinnati, Chicago : 
BENZIGER BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy Apostolic See. 
1890. 



Tab Library 

op congrbm 



wAsmMonHf 






Jntprimattir, 

JOAKKES, 

JSp. Detroitensis. 

September 30, 1889. 



RECOMMENDA TIONS. 

From Father Coppens, S J., Detroit College. 

"The charming little volume abounds in spiritual unction, and 
cannot fail to impart health and vigor to all souls that will be happy 
enough to possess and use it. To meditate is to try to see things as 
God sees them, as the light of the Holy Spirit enabled the saints to 
understand them. Now, how can we be better made to view them 
thus than by letting the saints themselves explain every subject of 
meditation? This the excellent author of 'A Happy Year* has 
wisely attempted and ingeniously accomplished." 

From the Sister - Servants of the Immaculate Heart, 
Monroe^ Mich. 

*' We take pleasure in recommending the excellent work entitled 
'A Happy Year,' translated into English from the original French. 
The lessons of piety for each day are brief and practical, hence the 
book cannot fail to fulfil its mission and render the ' Year ' a * Hap- 
py ' one to all its readers. " 



Copyright, 1890, by Benziger Beothers. 



DEDICATION. 



To St. Francis of Sales, whose sweet and gentle spirit 
so pervades these pages, this book is dedicated. Its con- 
tents may be compared to a garden of flowers wherein we 
may gather each morning a bouquet of holy thoughts with 
which to refresh our souls, by dwelling upon them from 
time to time during the day. 

May it increase our love for God by implanting in our 
hearts a desire to practise the virtues of which these saints 
have given us so shining examples ! The sweetness of St. 
Francis; the humility of St. Vincent; the burning love for 
God which filled the heart of St. Teresa, St. Magdalene of 
Pazzi, St. Bernard, and many others; the boundless con- 
fidence in God, and entire abandonment into His hands, 
in all things temporal as well as spiritual, which charac- 
terized St. Charles Borromeo, are all noble examples of 
that perfection to which a Christian soul may attain when 
aided by divine grace. 

The Tran"slator. 

Feast of St. Francis of Sales, 
January 29, 1890. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Dedication, o • . 3 

January.— Love of Jesus Christ, = . 9 

February. —Humility *...,.,.. 35 

March. — Mortification, 55 

April.— Patience, 78 

May,— Meekness, , 97 

June.— Obedience, 120 

July.— Simplicity, 137 

August.— The Sanctification of Our Actions, .... 159 

September. —Prayer, .... 183 

October. —Confidence, 210 

November.— Charity, . 288 

December.— Conformity to the Will of God, .... 270 



A HAPPY TEAR. 



JANUARY. 

I^ove of Je^tJts Ctirist# 



^^ If any man love not Our Lord Jesus Christy let Mm be anath- 
ema.^'* — 1 Cor. xvi. 22. 

First Day. 

What seek you that you will not find in Jesus Christ ? If you are 
sick. He is your physician. In affliction He is your comfort, in exile 
your hope. If you are attacked, He is your defender. In darkness 
He is your light. You are an orphan. He is your father. He is your 
spouse, your friend, your brother: Our Lord Jesus Christ is all you 
can and should desire. — St, Bernard. 

St. Francis of Assisi dwelt for entire hours upon these 
words: '' My God and my all/^ 

Can we not say with St. Augustin, '^ my God, he 
that knows Thee not, though he should know all besides, 
is unfortunate; but he that knows Thee, though ignorant 
of all else, and that loves Thee, is happy! Grant that I 
may know and love Thee'^? 

A holy religious used these words to her companions, to 
excite them to the love of Jesus Christ : '^ We have been 
created to love God, and we love Him not. What! we do 
not love a God Who from eternity has not ceased to love 
us? We do not love for Himself a God infinitely perfect. 
Who has loved us with a love so disinterested ? We do not 

9 



lO 



January. 



love with a tender love a God Who has loved us with the 
love of a father ? We do not love with a generous love a 
God Whose love for us has caused Him to deliver Himself 
to ignominy, sorrows, and death ? We do not love with all 
the love of which we are capable a God Who has loved us 
with so prodigious an excess of love V^ 

Prayer. 

Pardon, my Saviour, all the sins which are com- 
mitted every day and everywhere. I desire only Thy love. 
I sigh only for Thee. Grant that we may love Thee in the 
manner most agreeable to Thee. 



Second Day. 

' The knowledge of Jesus Christ, that is, of His person, of His per- 
fections, of His love, of His benefits, is the source of eternal life.— 
8i. Cyril, 

St. Teresa has said: ^^ Since I have had the happiness 
to know Jesus Christ, of beholding faint glimpses of that 
ravishing beauty, nothing created can find a place in my 
heart, all things earthly are distasteful to me." 

What wonders did not the love of Jesus Christ operate 
in the heart of St. Paul ! One might say his heart resem- 
bled that of Jesus Christ. In St. Ignatius the Martyr ! 
He was so penetrated with His love that, after his death, 
tlie name of Jesus was found engraven in letters of gold 
upon his breast. In St. Jerome ! He would finish his 
days beside the crib of Our Saviour. In St. Augustin ! 
His heart was entirely consecrated to Jesus Christ. In 
St. Francis of Assisi ! Every hour he dwelt upon the 
wounds of Our Saviour. In St. Antony of Padua! who 
was continually occupied with the holy infancy. In St. 
Bernard ! With what effusion of heart he spoke of Jesus 
Christ I In St. Charles Borromeo ! who never ceased to 
meditate upon the Passion. In SIj. Francis of Sales, St. 



Love of yesus Christ. 1 1 

Ignatius of Loyola, St. Philip Neri ! all so celebrated for 
their ardent love of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer. 

I am afflicted, amiable Jesus, because Thou art so little 
loved and so often offended. Master of hearts! take pos- 
session of our hearts. Grant that I may always think of 
Tliee, desn-e only to please Thee; that in all things I may 
seek only Thy glory, and endeavor always to love Thee 
and cause others to love Thee. 

Third Day. 

We must seek wisdom only in Jesus Christ. — SL Thomas, 

St. Paulinus, writing to Aper, a man of learning who had 
renounced the profane sciences to consecrate himself to 
God in the religious life, said : " Let orators exercise them- 
selves to speak well, philosophers cultivate the sciences, the 
rich take care of their treasures; our kingdom is Jesus 
Christ.'^ The same samt wrote to another who, in striving 
to acquire human knowledge, had neglected his salvation: 
" You find time to read the poets and orators, to study 
philosophy, and you find no time to be a Christian! Be a 
philosopher of God, study Jesus Christ m His school.'^ 

A zealous Christian silenced some persons who, through 
their own passions and the reading of bad books, had be- 
come unbelievers, by saying to them: '^If Jesus Christ be 
not God, how comes it that all the pronhecies regarding the 
Messias are so perfectly verified in Him ? How could He 
invent, preach, and spread a doctrine so sublime, which 
teaches man so perfectly to know God, his duties, his obliga- 
tions, his last end ? How is it that in presence of Jews 
and Pagans He performed such wonderful miracles? that 
His disciples also, in His name, performed miracles most as- 
tounding ? How is it that :n so short a time the world em- 
braced Christianity, and all the efforts of impiety have been 



1 2 yaiiuary. 

unable to overthrow it? Men who are most virtuous, most 
happy, are they not true Christians, who live according to 
the Gospel, and who obey tlie Catholic Church, which is 
the only Church of Jesus Christ ?^ 

Prayer. 

Jesus, my Saviour and my God, if Thou art not God, 
God Himself has deceived us. Jesus, have pity on those 
who have lost the precious gift of faith; enlighten those 
who are in darkness. I believe in Thee, I love Thee. 

Fourth Day. 

If wisdom is God, the true philosopher is he who loves God. — 

Bi, AugusUn. 

Every man must study philosophy, said St. Justin; that 
is, he must apply himself to know and to love Jesus Christ, 
Who is true wisdom. 

St. Laurence Justinian relates that, at the age of nine- 
teen, Wisdom appeared to him under the form of a virgin 
full of majesty, and said : " Why seek contentment in 
creatures ? I alone possess what you seek; you will find it 
in me if you take me for your spouse.^^ He gave himself to 
Wisdom, and never ceased to love her ; he loved her always 
Avith ardent and tender love. In like manner we should 
give ourselves to Jesus Christ. 

The more you love God the more you will possess true 
wisdom. Why are persons living in the same state of life, 
performing the same exterior actions, the same exercises of 
piety, different in the sight of God? It is because the in- 
terior is different; it is because their love of God is not the 
same, says St. Augustin. 

Prayer. 

1 ask pardon, my amiable Saviour, because I have so 
often pierced Thy heart by sin. Be merciful; give me 



Love of Jesus Christ 1% 

wisdom, that it may enlighten my mind and wound my 
heart with love. 

Fifth Day. 

The plenitude of the divinity lives really in Jesus Christ. He is 
God, He is your God. man, why do you wander elsewhere, seek- 
ing outside of Him any good either for soul or body? Love Him 
Who is Beauty itself; love a good in "Whom is all good; desire Him 
Who is all good, and all your desires will be granted. — 8t, Anselm. 

St. Augustin, struck with these perfections, cried out : 
^^Too late have I loved Thee, Beauty ever ancient, 
Beauty ever new V^ Let us love this sovereign Beauty; we 
shall be beautiful in loving Him Who is always beautiful. 
Beauty increases in proportion as love grows, because love 
is the beauty of the soul. 

St. Gertrude, in her Exercises of Divine Love, invites pious 
souls to excite in their hearts lively emotions of love three 
times during the day, morning, noon, and evening, to make 
amends for not having loved Our Lord with all their hearts. 
She calls Jesus Christ her sovereign, her only good, the 
faith of her heart. She asks Him, for the love of His love, 
to grant her grace to look upon all that she is as belonging 
to Him. 

The same saint consecrated one day in each week to 
divine love; she called this day the day of love. On that 
day she asked seven times of God that He would be her 
Master in teaching her the art of loving. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that Thy grace may abound where iniquity 
has abounded. Grant that Thy love may reign in hearts 
where the love of the world has reigned. I love Thee, I 
will love all things in Thee and for Thee. 

Sixth Day. 

If I belong entirely to God because He has created me, what re- 
mains for me to give Him for having redeemed me in so loving a 
manner? Reflect, Christian. You have been enriched, by an act 



H 



yanuary. 



of the love of Jesus Christ, with all that is necessary for your salva- 
tion. God has poured upon you all heavenly blessiugs through the 
merits of Our Saviour, and in consideration of the love He has had 
for you.—/S'^. Bernard, 

St. Ambrose was animated with gratitude to God when 
reflecting upon the gratitude manifested by certain domes- 
tic animals. Who would not blush with shame, said he, to 
reflect upon our ingratitude, when we see that even the 
beasts are not ungrateful? Does the dog forget the master 
who feeds him ? Let us cease to be ingrates. 

Let us be grateful to Jesus Christ, Who has redeemed us 
from the tyranny of the demon and merited for us by His 
sufferings life eternal. St. Gertrude, on awakening in the 
morning, seemed to hear the Beloved of her heart say- 
ing, *^ Awake I How long wilt thou give thyself to sleep ? 
The King of heaven is your spouse; He burns with ardent 
love for thee; He has washed thee in His blood, He has 
delivered Himself to death for thee, because He loves thee. 
Wilt thou hesitate to return love for love ? Could He buy thy 
love at a higher price ? He has loved thee more than Him- 
self, since He has not spared Himself for thee. Love de- 
mands love.^^ A priest of God, fall of zeal, often said to 
those whom he directed : *' Your body belongs to Him AYho 
nourishes your soul with His own body ; your blood, to 
Him Who has shed for you His blood ; your life, to Him 
Who has given His life for you.^^ 

Prayer. 
my Saviour, I offer Thee amends for all the ingrati- 
tude that men offer Thee! Alas I I have been mysel"f a 
monster of ingratitude. If I cannot give my blood for 
Thme, I can give love for love. 

Seventh Day. 

One of the greatest reasons for which Jesus Christ came upon 
earth and gave Himself to us was that, man knowing to what ex- 
cess God has loved him, his heart would burn with ardent love for 
Him Who loved him first wiih such excessive love. — Si. Augustin, 



Love of Jesus Christ. 15 

St. Francis of Paula, deeply touched in pondering on 
the iuflnite' love God has shown us, exclaimed: "0 God, 
charity! God, charity! How excessive is the 
charity Thou hast manifested to us! Grant that Thy 
love may enkindle love in our hearts, that they may be 
consumed with love for Thee/^ Let us be penetrated with 
these sentiments. 

A servant of God, addressing himself to Divine Love, 
said: '' Divine Love, be my mother; do for me as a tender 
mother would for her children. Be my guide; conduct me, 
accompany me wherever I may go. Be my master; instruct 
me in the art of loving God, with a love tender, pure, 
generous, constant, and penitent. Be my life; be the soul 
of my soul. Let it be Thou that thinketh, speaketh, and 
acteth in me. Let my heart burn with so ardent a love 
that it enkindle the fire of Thy divine love in all hearts.^' 

Prayer. 

my God! I ask pardon for the many who live but to 
gratify their passions. Alas ! have I not often taken mine 
for a guide? Let me live only for Thee and for Thy love. 

Eighth Day. 

The mystery of the Incarnation is the miracle of miracles. In 
becoming man, the more the Word has humbled Himself, the more 
has He shown His divine goodness. In the Incarnation we may say 
God has become one of ns.—St. Bernard. 

St. Peter of Alcantara, hearing on Christmas-day the 
words sung in the Gospel, ^^ In principio erat Verhum^^ was 
inflamed with most ardent love and filled with transports of 
admiration unbounded. 

St. Augustin in his Confessions declares that he never 
ceased to reflect upon the goodness of God in His grand 
work of the redemption of man. In the heart of St. Mary 
Magdalene of Pazzi was found engraven these words: 
"And the Word was made flesh. '^ 



1 6 yanuary. 

Let us i)ot forget, says St. Bernard, that it is for sake of 
our love that God lovts us. Let us not forget how an- 
cient, how disinterested, how teuder, how strong, how gen- 
erous, is the love of Jesus for us. He has not ceased to 
love us, miserable sinners though we be. 

Prayer, 

my Saviour, I am grieved because so few will receive 
Thee, Who hast come for all, and so many Christians, hav- 
ing received Thee, have again rejected Thee. I too have 
been guilty of this perfidy. Pardon, my Jesu^. Come into 
my heart; enkindle there the fire of Thy love; never per- 
mit it to become extinguished. 

Ninth Day. 

A child is bom: it is the Son of God, Who has become a child that 
you may become a perfect man. He has come to deliver you from 
death; He has come upon earth that you may become an inhabi- 
tant of heaven.— ^^. Ambrose. 

St. Francis, burning with love for the Infant Jesus, 
exclaims : ^^Let us love the Infant of Bethlehem, AVho, to 
win our hearts, has given such proofs of His love. Shall 
we not love Him ? Love for love, love without limit, for 
the infinite love He has had for us.'*'' 

Let us desire the love for the Infant Jesus which St. 
John had, who was sanctified by Jesus whilst both were 
yet in the womb; the love of the angels who sang songs 
of gladness to announce His birth ; of the shepherds who 
hastened to Bethlehem to visit Him ; of the Magi who came 
from afar to adore Him, to offer Him their gifts; of holy 
Simeon, who took Him in his arms and pressed Him to his 
heart. Let us beseech Mary to present us to her Adorable 
Son, to permit us to give Him our poor testimonials of love 
and respect. Let us not cease to say to our dear Saviour, 
Be my Jesus. 



Love of Jestts Christ, 17 



Prayer. 

Admirable Jesus ! how can we live and not love Tliee ? 
Mercy, Jesus, mercy! I beg pardon for myself and all 
others. The more U'hou hast humbled Thyself for me^ the 
more dear Thou art to my heart. 

Tenth Day. 

The Master, the Lord, He Who is lord of all, has taken the form 
of a slave, that he who was a slave might recover his liberty aud be- 
come a master. What incomprehensible charity, O my God, to 
have delivered Thy Son to redeem a slave! — bt. Ambrose. 

With a great servant of God, let us say: my Saviour! 
I am Thy servant. Thy slave. May I never be separated 
from Thee! I belong to Thee; save me! 

St. Catharine of Genoa after her conversion often said: 
" No more sin, my God ! nothing but Thy love. Write 
in my heart the law of Thy love with the sacred letters of 
the Holy Ghost/^ 

Prayer. 

Oh, how insensible are sinners who become slaves to 
their passions, to the world, to the demon, instead of serv- 
ing Thee, my Jesus, the King of kings! Grant me 
grace to say from the bottom of my heart: My Jesus, I love 
Thee! 

Eleventh Day. 

The love which God has for man has made Him prodigal, if we 
may so express it, in giving Himself. Is it not to be prodigal, to give 
not only all He has, but still more— all He is 't—Ahbe Ouerric. 

To the mind of St. Augnstin, it seemed that the sun, 
the moon, stars, mountains, rivers, all, in fine, that he saw 
about him, spoke to him in these words: ^^ Augustin, love 
God, because He has created all this for thee, that thou 



r8 yamiary. 

mightst love Him/^ But if we should love the Son of God 
for all lie has given us, what should we not return Him 
for liaving given us Himself ? s:ij^s St. Bernard. He has 
given Himself to us entirely; all that He is is ours. 

'^God lias made to men two admirable presents: He has 
given them His Word and His love, which is all that He 
has, all His treasure. The possession of the Son of God 
and of the Holy Ghost is our Sovereign Good. Let us 
renounce as useless all other treasures to possess these ; we 
will then have within ourselves the plenitude, the king- 
dom of God/^ These reflections are those of Father 
Surin. 

Prayer. 

excess of folly ! to have renounced by sin my Sover- 
eign Good. I beg pardon, my God, for all my sins, I 
would wish to make satisfaction for all sins committed. 
Father Eternal, Who art my Father, I beg only Thy divine 
Son and the Holy Ghost. They suffice for Thee; can they 
not also be sufficient for my heart ? 

Twelfth Day. 

From the moment of His Incarnation until that of His death the 
Son of God may be called a Man of sorrows. The cross upon 
which He was to suffer was always present to His eyes and en- 
graven upon His heart. Lord, in whatever place I seek Thee, I find 
Thee ever upon the cross. — Words of a sergeant of God, 

While meditating upon the sufferings of Jesus Christ, 
St. Bernard exclaimed, Quis fecit? Who has done this? 
He seemed to hear this response: Fecit charitas. It is 
charity which has worked this great prodigy. Let us cry 
with St. Elizabeth of Hungary: "Henceforth my only in- 
heritance is Jesus crucified.^^ 

Prayer. 

Jesus crucified ! it is sin which has nailed Thee to 
the cross. H^ who sins mortally orucifies Thee spiritually 



Love of Jesus Christ. 19 

in his heart. Death, a tliousand deaths rather than sin. 
Let sin no more reign in me. Let Jesus and the Holy 
Ghost dwell with me forever. 

Thirteenth Day. 

The least suffering, the least humiliation on the part of Jesus 
Christ would have sufficed for our redemption on account of tlie 
infinite dignity of His person. But what sufficed for our redemption 
did not suffice for His love.— /S^. Chrysostom. 

Jesus willed to suffer to excess to redeem us, wliile with- 
out suffering He might have redeemed us. This reflection 
it is which has filled so many saints wdtli the love of the 
cross. 

St. Teresa said : " Suffer or die." St. Magdalene of Pazzi: 
^^No, not to die, but to suffer.'^ St. John of the Cross : 
"To suffer and to be despised for Thee.'^ With St. Ber- 
nard let us ask for the love of the cross in these words: 
" My heart on the cross, and the cross in my heart." 

Prayer. 

Thou permittest, my God, that I am at times in trib- 
ulation; Thou permittest it for my good. I adore Thy 
will ; give me the strength and patience necessary. I offer 
Thee all my crosses; accept them from the hands of Jesus 
Christ, through Whom all things are pleasing when offered 
to Thee. 

Fourteenth Day. 

There is nothing more salutary than to meditate each day upon 
the torments a Man-God has endured for us. The wounds of Jesus 
Christ pierce the hardest of hearts, they inflame the coldest.— ^S^. 
Boiiaventure. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi, meditating upon the sufferings 
of Jesus Christ, crucifix in hand, with ardent love cried 
out: "0 Love! Love! never will my heart cease to tell 
Thee that Thou art its dear love.'' With St. Philip Neri, 
let us often exclaim : " Jesus my love.'' 



20 Jamca7y. 

A fervent Christian who knew not how to read astonished 
persons of piety by speaking to them of the adorable per- 
fections of God, and of the love of Jesus Christ. One of 
these persons offered to teach him to read, so that he might 
be enabled to read books of devotion. He thanked him, 
saying, " Before accepting, I must consult my divine Master, 
Jesus crucified.^^ He did so. This was the answer he re- 
ceived: " What are the books you would read ? What use 
to read? It is I Who am your book. In thinking of Me, 
you can always read the great love I have had for you. 
A God suffering and dying for your love — is not this suffi- 
cient to occupy you during life and during eternity V^ 

Prayer, 

my Saviour, all Thy wounds are so many mouths 
which tell me how guilty I am, how Thou hast loved me, 
and how grateful I should be. What shall I do to return 
Thy love ? 

Fifteenth Day. 

It is by the cross that we have been redeemed and delivered; it is 
by virtue of the cross that we are sanctified and glorified. 

"Oh, if you knew the mystery of the cross !^^ said St. 
Andrew in reply to the tyrant who bade him renounce 
Jesus Christ because He had been crucified like a com- 
mon malefactor. " The cross is not only the instrument 
upon which Jesus Christ has suffered, it is a pulpit from 
which our divine Master gives to His disciples the most 
salutary lessons,^^ says St. Augustin. 

]S"o matter what may be the temptation which assails 
you, if you meditate religiously upon your crucifix, you 
will be enlightened, says St. Thomas. 

St. Philip Beniti, being at the point of death, asked for 
his book. The assistants knew not which book he desired. 
One of his disciples, entering into his thoughts, brought him 
a crucifix. " This is my book,^^ said the saint, and taking it 



Love of Jesus Christ 2 1 

in his hands, he kissed lovingly the wounds of Our Saviour, 
and expired. May this be our book! Let us read therein 
the great love which Jesus Christ has for us. 

Prayer. 

P my God, should we not rather consent to be crucified 
than to sin ? Grant that I would be happy to be crucified, if 
I could thus efface my own sins and those of all who of- 
fend Thee, and satisfy Thy justice. 

Sixteenth Day. 

Jesus Christ was willing to suffer as much as He would have de- 
served to suffer had He been guilty of all the sins which have been 
committed in the world and of all those which will be committed. 
--St, Bonaventure, 

St. Catharine of Genoa, meditating upon the love of 
Jesus Christ which nailed Him to the cross to expiate our 
sins, cried: "0 Love! Love! no more sin, no more sin.'^ 
Let us unite with her in the same language. 

St. Mary Magdalene of Florence continually offered her- 
self as a holocaust to God; she offered to Him all her 
thoughts, all her words, all her actions, promising Him in 
future to do nothing but in His divine wounds. Eaising 
her eyes often to heaven, she would exclaim: ^' Lord, Thou 
knowest that from my infancy to this moment I have de- 
sired ardently to please Thee.^^ 

Prayer. 

Jesus my love, I would wish to expire of love for 
Thee, when I think that in so many places Thou art of- 
fended, and how many times I have oflended Thee myself 
I desire only Thy love. 



22 January. 



Seventeenth Day. 

Calvary is the mountain of Jesiis Christ. Love that is not born 
of passion is weak. — St, Francis of Sales. 

'' Let us consider our divine Saviour extended upon the 
cross as on an altar of love, where He dies of love for us. 
Ah! why do we not embrace Him in spirit, and die upon 
the cross with Him Who would die for love of us V says 
the same saint. 

St. Marcus and St. Marcellianus, having their hands and 
feet nailed, said to their tyrant: " We never before tasted 
such delights, since we are here for the love of Jesus 
Christ.^^ Let the cross of Jesiis live in our hearts, and 
the heaviest of crosses will appear light. 

St. Francis of Assisi, suffering greatly, said: "My God, I 
thank Thee for all Thou hast given me to suffer. Grant 
that I may suffer a hundred times as much, if it be Thy 
will. It is agreeable to me that Thou spare me not here be- 
low; the accomplishment of Thy will is for me a source of 
abundant consolations.^^ 

Prayer, 

Lord, I have sinned. I desire to suffer and to die. I 
offer my life. Strike, cut, burn this victim, but grant me 
patience to suffer for Thee. 

Eighteenth Day. 

He who lives constantly united to God sees with the eyes of his 
soul Jesus dying on the cross. In the wounds of his Saviour he finds 
strength to suffer, not only with patience, but with joy.— ^S^. Bona- 
wnture, 

St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, being condemned to be 
torn by wild beasts, wrote as follows to the Eomans. His 
letter breathes an ardent desire for sufferings. " Suffer, 
my children," said he, " that I be ground by the beasts^ 



Love of Jesus Christ. 23 

that I may become the wheat of Jesus Christ. I seek 
nothing but Him Who has died for me. The only object of 
my love is He Who was crucified for me, and the love I 
bear Him makes me desire to be crucified for Him.^' 

St. Gertrude said to Jesus Christ: ^^0 my Saviour, Who 
hast loved me and hast suffered for me, I offer for Thy 
glory all that I have suffered, all that I suffer, and all that 
I shall suffer. Look upon the love which animates me; 
grant that it may be a pleasure to suffer because Thou hast 
willed that I should suffer. Thou Whom I love more than 
I love myself. ^^ 

Prayer* 

my Saviour, imprint deeply in my memory, my heart, 
and soul, Thy holy and sorrowful Passion. Grant that I 
may never forget what Thou hast suffered. In Thy wounds 
may I continually read the evil of sin and the greatness 
of Thy love. Thus in contemplating Thy sorrows, my heart 
may be penetrated with grief and with love for Thee. 

Nineteenth Day. 

There is nothing that produces in the soul so universal a sancti- 
fication as meditating upon the Passion of Jesus Christ. — Bt, Bona- 
mnture. 

Father Balthazar Alvarez often repeated to those whom 
he directed: ^' Do not persuade yourselves that you have 
made any progress in virtue until you have iixed in your 
heart Jesus crucified/^ 

It was thi-ough studying Jesus crucified that St. Francis 
became filled with so ardent love as to mer t the title of 
Sernphic. So abundantly did he weep on meditating on the 
Passion of Our Saviour that he nearly lost the sight of his 
eyes. Shall we forget Jesus crucified ? 

A servant of God.fixinij: his eyes on his crucifix, said : "To 
preserve yourself from sin. to animate* your patience, to ex- 
cite your lov(^ for Jesus Christ, behold your God upon the 
cross. Will you dare to sin ? Behold your God upon the 



24 January. 

cross. Will you complain in your sufferings ? Behold your 
God upon the cross. Is He not worthy of all love V 

Prayer, 

Adorable Jesus, Thou hast made Thyself a Man of 
sorrows for our sins. I will refuse no cross that Thou send- 
est. I desire no recompense, only patience to support them. 
It is enough for me to accomplish Thy will. 

Twentieth Day. 

One tear that is shed at the remembrance of the Passion of Jesus 
Christ is of more value than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and a year 
of fasting on bread and water. — St Augusiin, 

St. Francis of Assisi, being found weeping, was asked 
the reason of his tears. He replied : ^^ I weep at the affronts 
and sorrows of my Saviour; and my pain is increased to see 
the ingratitude of men who do not love Him, do not even 
think of Him.^^ Whenever he heard a lamb bleating, it 
recalled to his mind the Lamb without spot Who died on 
the cross for the sins of the world. He never ceased to 
exhort his brethren to have continually in mind the Passion 
of Jesus Christ. Let us never be ungrateful to a God Who 
has loved us so excessively. 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, by Thy sorrowful Passion have mercy on 
me, and on all. Grant that I may die rather than renew it 
by my sins. 

Twenty-first Day. 

Everything in the Passion of Jesus Christ shows how He has loved 
us— the cross to which He was nailed, the sorrows which He endured, 
the death which He suffered. — St. Thomas of Villano'ca. 

Jesus Christ crucified is our model. His wounds preach to us of 
the affections which should animate us, what we should be and 
what we should diO.— St. Bernard, 

St. Thomas Aquinas, during a visit which he made to 



Love of Jestts Christ. 25 

St. Bonaventure, asked the latter from what books he had 
drawn the erudition, the unction which made his writings so 
admirable. Showing him a crucifix, he replied: " This is my 
book; it is the source of all I have written. It is this which 
has taught me the little that I know.^' Let us press the 
crucifix to our lips, begging our divine Saviour to instruct 
us, to give us His love. Let us beseech Him to grant to 
sinners the grace of conversion, and let us make amends 
for the sins we have committed. 

St. Gertrude meditated with love upon her crucifix. 
At the sight of her divine Saviour on the cross, she begged 
for the love of suffering, and asked that she might suffer 
still more and more with gratitude and love. '' I offer to 
Thee, divine Saviour,^^ said she, " all that it may please Thee 
to make me suffer, either in body or mind, I desire to 
imitate Thee, my Jesus, Who hast loved me even to die 
forme. Let this body, so rebellious a slave, be chastised. Let 
my will, which has so often opposed Thine, be unceasingly 
mortified. I will no longer follow its desires. I place it in 
Thy hands; dispose of it as Thou wilt.^^ St. Augustin said : 
^^Each time that I am tempted I have recourse to the wounds 
of Jesus Christ. I take refuge in the bowels of mercy of 
my Saviour. Jesus Christ died for me : this thought is sweet 
consolation in my greatest pains. All my hope is in the 
death of Jesus Christ. His death is my merit, my refuge, 
my salvation, my life, my resurrection. I wish to live, to 
die in the arms of my Saviour.^' 

Prayer, 

Jesus, the God of my heart, by the five wounds 
which Thou hast received for us on the tree of the cross, 
have pity on those whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy 
precious blood. I will no more by my sins renew Thy 
Passion, crucify Thee again, nor trample under foot Thy 
adorable blood. 



26 January. 



Twenty-second Day. 

The cross of Jesus Christ possesses a marvellous virtue. The 
recollection of it alone will put to flight legions of our invisible 
enemies, will sustain us in our combat with them, and preserve us 
from the temptations which surround us. — St. Augustin. 

In our temptations let us imitate the blessed Caesar de 
Buz, who defended himself with, the cross alone against 
all the wicked suggestions of the demon. Taking this pre- 
cious shield in his hands, he cried : " Fly, enemies of my sal- 
vation and of my God ; fly, demons. Behold the cross of the 
Saviour! It is this instrument which has broken the gates 
of hell. my Saviour, by the merits of Thy cross deliver 
me from my enemies.^^ 

Let us enter into the dispositions of a great servant of 
God, who exclaimed: '' My God, have pity on me through 
the merits of Jesus Christ. I will live only in union with 
Him. I unite my senses with His senses, my mind w^th His 
mind, my heart with His heart, my sentiments with His. I 
would wish to have the same contrition for my sins which 
He had for them, and I desire that these be the affections 
of all who have hearts capable of loving/' 

Prayer. 

Jesus crucified, give me a love of Thy cross, and convert 
those who are its enemies. 

Twenty-third Day. 

Tbe four extremities of the cross are ornamented with four pre- 
cious pearls. Humility is placed at the foot, obedience occupies the 
riglit, patience the left ; charity, the first and queen of virtues, burns 
in letters of gold at the head. These four virtues shine in a most 
striking manner in the Passion of Jesus Christ. They are the four 
principal fruits which we must gather from meditating on Jesus 
crucified.— /St Bernard, 

A person who hnd formed a ref^olution to serve God 
begged Father Lefevre, one of the first companions of 



Love of Jesus Christ, 2 7 

St. Ignatius, to point out to her some practices of piety. 
He recommended her to prostrate herself several times 
during the day before her crucifix, and say to Jesus Christ: 
'' my divine Master, Who art my model, Thou hast hu- 
miliated Thyself to tlie lowest abasement, and I am proud ! 
Thou hast been obedient even unto death, and I seek in all 
things my own will ! Thou hast been a Man of sorrows, 
and I will suffer nothing ! Thou hast loved me even to 
give Thy life for me, and I love Thee so little ! I have 
offended Thee so often !" She was faithful to this practice, 
and in a short time made great progress in virtue. 

Prayer. 

my God, fill me with Thy spirit, the spirit of relig- 
ion, of love; Thy spirit of sweetness, of zeal; Thy spirit of 
detachment and of mortification. Give me Thy sentiments. 
May all hearts be filled with Thy love! 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

Contemplate Me hanging on the cross. Behold the state of My 
body. Enter within; open and penetrate My heart. What do you 
find? What do you read? Love, nothing but love. (The blessed 
Angela de Foligno thought she heard Jesus Christ addressing to her 
these words.) 

Let us have a great devotion to the crucifix. Let us 
often fix our eyes upon the image of Christ crucified. Let us 
converse with this Man of sorrows, listen to Him, consult 
Him; love our crucifix, kiss it with mucli devotion. St. 
Ludowirie, at the end of her life, made use of her eyes only 
to contemplate the crucifix. This practice filled her heart 
with the most nrdent love. 

St. Ehzabeth, daughter of tlie king of Huugary, con- 
templating long her crucifix, was covered with confusion 
on beholding herself dressed in the livery of the worhl and 
its vanitj^ Prostrating herself on the ground, she cried: 
*' Jesus crucified will be my portion forever — poverty for 



28 January. 

poverty, humiliation for humiliation, cross for cross/^ 
During the rest of her life she faithfully kept her promise. 

Prayer, 

my adorable Saviour, permit me to solace Thy 
wounds; replenish me with Thy love. I recommend my- 
self and all others to Thee. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

Let us go, my brethren, let us enter into the amiable Heart of 
Jesus, never more to leave it. Let us excite ourselves to great de- 
votion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is so abundant a source 
of love and mercy. — Jean Lansperg, Carthusian. 

The holy bishop of Geneva never spoke of the Sacred 
Heart of Jesus but with the greatest transports of love. 
Following his example, let us offer to God the Father the 
Heart of His divine Son. All that we ask of God, let us ask 
it through the Heart of Jesus. Let this Sacred Heart be 
the temple in which we shall never cease to worship; let it 
be the altar upon which we offer Him our sacrifices, and 
the victim also. 

Let us imitate another holy religious, who begged Jesus 
Christ that the tribunal before which she would be judged 
might be His Sacred Heart, in order that it might be a 
favorable one. St. Matilda, penetrated with the love of 
Jesus Christ while in prayer, in imagination kissed the 
sacred wound in His Heart. In this pious exercise she found 
ineffable sweetness. She seemed to hear the voice of her 
Beloved, Who said: " My daughter, I desire thee to place in 
Me alone all the delights of thy soul.^^ She cried: ^^ Yes, 
my Love, yes, my Love.^^ '^ Let My love,^^ continued Jesus 
Christ, ^^be that of a mother to thee; let it be My love 
that awakens thee, that clothes thee in the morning, that 
animates thee, that prays, that speaks, that acts in thee, 
that conducts thee wherever thou goest.'^ From awaken- 
ing in the morning until resting at night, she lived only in 
and for the love of His divine Heart. 



I 



Love of Jesus Christ. 29 



Prayer. 

I will go with confidence to Thy Sacred Heart, my 
Jesus! I will enter, I will bury myself there. I will say 
with love, " Holy, holy, holy. Glory be to the Father, glory 
be to the Son, glory be to the Holy Ghost/' I will never 
cease to bless, to praise Thy infinite perfections. Thou art 
the sovereign good. Thou art the source of all good. Thou 
art a good that is eternal, infinite, the only principle of all 
perfection, of all glory, and of all happiness. my Saviour, 
inspire all Christians with a great devotion to Thy Sacred 
Heart. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

There is a feast where we receive Jesus Christ and renew the 
remembrance of His Passion. Disciples of Jesus Christ, love Jesus 
Christ your Master; adore with more devotion, receive with more 
fervor the Saviour of the world, Who, though life itself, suffered and 
died for you. 

When you are about to unite yourself to Jesus Christ in 
holy Communion, enter into the sentiments of a worthy 
priest of Jesus Christ who, before ascending the altar, 
made this reflection: ^^I am going to renew the Passion of 
Our Saviour; will it be for my salvation ? Alas! I will 
perhaps perform the oflBce of one of His executioners, I will 
perhaps crucify Him within me, I will perhaps render 
myself guilty of the body of the Lord. my Saviour, do 
not permit it.^^ 

St. Matilda prayed that Our Lord would teach her to 
prepare for Communion. She begged Him to write His 
adorable name in her heart in such a manner that it might 
never be effaced from her memory. She desired to receive 
Him with all the love of which the human heart is capable; 
she besought Him to look upon this desire and fill her with 
all graces as if indeed she really had received Him in the 
manner she so ardently desired. 



30 January. 

Prayer. 

my Sayiour, I am not worthy to approach Thee, but I 
love Thee — would that it were without limit! I approach 
Thee to obey Thee, and to glorify Thee, to fortify myself 
and to be transformed into Thee. If I have had the mis- 
fortune to make unworthy Communions, pardon me. I 
would make atonement for all unworthy Communions 
which have been made since the institution of this sacra- 
ment of love. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

A very great crime in Christians, a crime which brings upon 
tliem frightful chastisements is to receive unworthily Jesus Christ, 
the Sou of God, in the sacrament of His love. The profaners of this 
adorable sacrament will drink during eternity the chalice of divine 
vengeance. — St. John Damascene, 

A person at the point of death, who had the unhappi- 
ness of having made sacrilegious Communions, thought he 
saw the demon approaching him, and heard these words: 
^^ Because you have made unworttiy Communions you will 
receive to-day Communion from my hands/^ The un- 
fortunate cried aloud, in his despair: ^^The vengeance of 
God is upon me, the vengeance of God is upon me!" He 
died pronouncing these words. Let us not forget what 
the deacon formerly said before giving Communion: 
^^ Holy things are for the holy. Let him who is not holy, 
that is, free from sin and well prepared, take care how he 
approach the holy table, to receive the Holy of holies/^ 

Prayer. 

my God, have T not reason to fenr lest I may have 
made unworthy Communions, as 1 so often f;ill again into 
my sins so soon aftei* rcceivinir Thy adoiahle body? I would 
that I could eflfacc all saciileges with tears of blood. Have 
pity on us according to TLy great mercy. 



Love of Jesus Christ 3 1 



Twenty-eighth Day. 

In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus Christ, sa^'s the Council 
of Trent, has lavished upon men all the riches of His love. This 
sacrament is the sacrament of charity. According to St. Thomas it 
is the pledge of the sovereign charity of Jesus Christ. It is called 
by St. Bernard the love of loves. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi said that a person wlio communi- 
catod often might well say: "All is consummated. God, in 
giving Himself to me in holy Communion, could give me 
nothing more precious than what He has given." 

When St. Philip Neri was dying, on beholding the priest 
with the holy Viaticum, he exclaimed: '' This is my love, 
my love; give me my love!'^ Let us enter into these senti- 
ments when we approach the table of the Lord. 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, my Love, Thou givest Thyself to me, 
and Thou but askest my heart in return. What is this 
heart of mine of which Thou art so jealous? my God, 
Who art so perfect, Thou sufficest for Thyself. How blind 
will I be if I ever love anything but Thee! Grant, my 
God, that my heart may rest in Thee alone, for Whom it is 
created. I will do all in my power to gain hearts to Thee, 
my Lord. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

By Communion we are united to Him Whom the blessed spirits 
dare not behold, so penetrated are they with holy reverence. We be- 
come one body, one flesh with Him. Where is the shepherd who 
nourishes his flock with his own blood ? We see many mothers 
who confide their children to nurses. It is not thus Jesus Christ 
does in our regard; He nourishes us with His own blood.— >S^. John 
Chrysosiom. 

"0 my lover exclaimed St. Augustin. '^ Jesus Christ 
has said, ' Eat My body,^ that there might be a most in- 
timate union between Him and me. Is not this the folly 
of love ?^^ 



o 



2 January. 



St. Magdalene of Pazzi asked a novice what were the 
thoughts which occupied her in holy Communion. She re- 
plied: "I thought of the love of Jesus.'' " That is well/' 
said the saint, " but it is not sufficient to think of that 
for a short time only; we must think constantly of it/' 

Prayer. 

My God, I would that, in order to please Thee, I pos- 
sessed all the humility, obedience, faith, love, religion, hope, 
all the virtues of all the saints, that Thou mightst be more 
and more glorified. 

Thirtieth Day. 

If Jesus Christ is our daily bread, why do you receive Him so 
seldom ? Live in such a manner that you may be worthy to receive 
this celestial bread each day. — St. Ambrose. 

^^ Nothing so fills our hearts with love for the Sovereign 
Good as holy Communion," said the venerable Father 
Olimpe. Another saint has said that to procure the happi- 
ness of uniting herself with Jesus Christ in holy Com- 
munion she would not hesitate to pass through flames of 
fire to obtain it, if necessary. 

On the days that St. Catharine of Siena did not receive 
holy Communion she was sick; it seemed as if she could 
not live any longer. When she received Our Lord she was 
strong again. Let us prepare ourselves for Communion by 
renouncing all irregular affections, by many spiritual Com- 
munions, and by the practice of different virtues. 

Prayer. 

my God, I will approach Thee often. Grant that it be 
with a pure heart, profound humility, and great joy born 
of love. Grant that these be the dispositions of all 
hearts. 



I 



Love of Jesics Christ. 33 



Thirty- FIRST Day. 

The time that you pass with devotion at the foot of the allar 
before Jesus Christ is the lime wherein you will obtain most graces, 
and which will be your greatest consolation at the hour of death and 
during eternity. There is no place where Jesus Christ hears our 
prayers more promptly. — Bl. Henry Suzo. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi made each day thirty visits to the 
Blessed Sacrament. 

St. Louis of Gonzaga passed all his time in tlie church 
when obedience did not call him elsewhere. Before leav- 
ing the church he would say lovingly: ^^Ketire from me, 
Lord; retire from me.^' 

It was always at the feet of Our Lord that the apostle of 
the Indies rested from his fatigues. Having passed the day 
in laboring for the salvation of souls, he spent part of the 
night before the Blessed Sacrament. 

St. Francis Eegis spent his time in like manner. When he 
found the church closed, he knelt at the door, no matter 
how severe the cold. 

St. Francis of Assisi undertook nothing without first 
going to the church to consult Jesus Christ. 

The Countess Feria was called the spouse of the Blessed 
Sacrament, because she spent all the time that the duties 
of her position permitted in adoration in the church. She 
was asked what she did so long in the church. She replied: 
"What does a courtier do before his king? one who is 
sick before a physician ? the poor before the rich ? What 
does he who is famished by hunger do when placed at a 
table w^here there are most exquisite viands ? Thus do I 
in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.'' 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, I love Thee but little, since it is not my 
delight to be at the foot of Thy altars. Alas! how many 
times have I not offended Thee even in Thy temple! In 



34 yanuary. 

thinking of Thy love for me, of what Thou hast done for 
me, I ought to die from excess of love for Thee. my 
God, was it not carrying Thy love to excess to become one 
of us by Thy incarnation, to be our companion, to die on 
the cross to expiate our sins, and to be our recompense in 
heaven ? And still more, Thou givest Thyself to us as a 
nourishment! Victim of salvation. Who hast opened the 
gates of heaven, behold the number and the malice of the 
enemies who surround us for our destruction; help and 
strengthen us! 



FEBRUARY. 

Hu-mility. 



^''He that humhletJi himself shall he exalted.'''^ — St. Luke xiv. 11. 
First Day. 

Humility is the foundation of every virtue. There is no better 
means to obtain heavenly gifts than humility. — St. Augustin. 

The virtue the practice of which St. Vincent of Paul 
most recommends is humility. 

It is the virtue which St. Louis of Gonzaga desired with 
most ardor; every day he prayed to the saints and angels 
to obtain by their intercession the grace to follow in this 
royal road in which they had walked before him. 

A holy religious was accustomed to say: ^^I would will- 
ingly give both eyes to acquire the virtue of humility. ^^ 

Prayer. 
My God, give me humility; grant that I may know my 
nothingness, my miseries, my weakness. Grant that this 
knowledge may keep me humble in Thy sight ; and may 
I never cease to implore the assistance of Thy grace! 

Second Day. 

Humility is the mother of many virtues. It is this virtue that 
gives birth to obedience, patience, the fear of God, modesty, and 
peace. — St. Thomas of Villanova. 

So great an affection did St. Jane Frances de Chantal 
have for humility that she watched continually over her- 

35 



36 February. 

self lest some occasion should be lost for practising this 
virtue. Writing to St. Francis de Sales, she said: ^^ My 
dear Father, I beseech you, for the honor of G-od, help me 
to humble myself/^ 

Prayer. 

My adorable Saviour, when I reflect to what an excess 
Thou hast humbled Thvself for me, I am confused at the 
little love I have for humiliations. I will let no occasion 
pass that can serve to humble me, that I may imitate and 
please Thee. 

Third Day. 

He who is not profoundly humble can never arrive at a sublime 
degree of prayer.— ^Sf. Teresa. 

St. Bridget heard these words from Our Lord: that a 
soul which seeks the things of heaven must lower itself 
and walk in paths of humiliation. St. Clare of Montefalco 
during fifteen days was deprived of the heavenly favors 
with which Our Lord was accustomed to visit her, because 
she had not resisted sentiments of self-love after having 
done a good action, although she had not failed to weep 
and punish herself for her fault. 

Prayer, 

My God, I desire most ardently to be humble, and I will 
not cease to beg it of Thee, that Thou mayest look upon 
me with mercy, and give me grace to please Thee here and 
love Thee eternally in heaven. 

Fourth Day. 

Humility is necessary, not only to acquire virtues, but to be saved. 
Jesus Christ has said that the gates of heaven are so narrow that 
only the little, that is the humble, can enter therein. — St. Bernard. 

St. Philip Neri was accustomed to say: "The wound in 
the side of Jesus Christ is large; but unless He has pity on 
me I will make it still larger. ^^ Every morning he ad- 



Humility. 37 

dressed to God this prayer: ^"^Lord^ watch over me this day* 
If Thou dost not guard me I will betray Thee, and I will 
fall into grievous sins/'' Each time that he left his house, 
he said to God: ^^Take care of me, otherwise I depart 
a Christian and shall return a Jew/^ Is it not true, self- 
evident, that we are nothing, can do nothing ? Can we 
lose sight of our miseries, of our sins ? He who has a 
wound on his body which gives him pain does not reflect 
whether it is there, for he sees and feels it/^ 

Prayer. 

Lord, Who hatest the proud and wilt humble them, give 
me humility. Without humility I shall offend Thee un- 
ceasingly; without humility I shall be lost. 

Fifth Day. 

The most powerful weapon to vanqiiisli the demon is humility. — 
8t, Francis of Paula. 

St. Teresa could not conceive why preachers spoke so 
frequently of the necessity of humility. Is it not evident, 
said she, that in nothing can we glorify ourselves, since all 
the good we have comes from God ? How can we, who are 
subject to so many miseries, and who have committed so 
many sins, be proud ? We have nothing in us of which we 
can be vain. 

Father Alvarez compared his life to a bunch of grapes 
in which almost every grape was spoiled. Among so many 
actions, said he, there is scarcely any without a defect. 
^^And woe to me/^ added he, ^^if God examines them too 
closely Y' 

St. Dominic was accustomed to kneel at the gates of the 
city where he was about to preach, and beg of God not to 
afflict the people with any chastisements on account of his 
sins. 

St. Philip Neri advised those whom he directed to say. 



38 February. 

when they had fallen into a fault : '' If I had been humble I 
should not have fallen/^ 

Prayer. 

Lord^ I am but a sinner. How many sins have I not 
committed! I sin unceasingly. Have pity on me; grant 
me mercy. Woe to me if Thou treatest me as I have 
merited ! 

Sixth Day. 

The humble, those who have a lowly opinion of themselves and 
love to be despised by others, please God the most. He makes it 
His delight to be with them, to pour upon them the treasures of His 
grace, to reveal to them His secrets, and to attract them sweetly to 
Himself. — Thomas a Kempis. 

Thais, being converted, never forgot her past disorderly 
life. Penetrated with confusion at her sins, she never 
dared to mention the holy name of God. Thus she expressed 
herself in addressing Him: ^^Thou Who hast created me, 
have mercy on me.^^ By such sentiments of humility she 
became so pleasing to God that she obtained an eminent 
degree of sanctity. A servant of God much esteemed by 
St. Ignatius said: ^^He who thinks he is of no value is 
worth much; and he who thinks he is of much worth is 
worth nothiug.^^ 

Prayer. 

Lord, I have nothing, I deserve nothing, I am less than 
nothing, since I am a sinner. I have recourse to Thee. 
The more wretched a poor man is, the greater is his hope 
that the rich, to whom he addresses himself, will take pity 
on him. I beseech Thee, have mercy on me, according to 
the greatness of my miseries. 



Humility, 39 



Seventh Day. 

One day during which we humble ourselves prof oundly on account 
of our sins and miseries brings to us more graces than many days 
employed in prayer. — St. Teresa, 

St. Francis of Assisi regarded himself as the greatest 
sinner in the universe, and worthy of hell. He said that 
he did not deserve that God would deign to cast one look 
upon him. ^^I know what I will do to appease Our Lord/^ said 
St. Bonaventure. " I will look upon myself as the vilest on 
earth; I will be to my eyes an object of horror; and when I 
see myself humbled, despised, outraged, covered with op- 
probrium, I will rejoice, I will bless the Lord.^^ 

St. Vincent de Paul humbled himself continually before 
God, and said: '^How many sins will I not commit if Thou 
regulate not my words and actions !^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I am worthy of Thy anger, of Thy maledic- 
tions, and of Thy vengeance, on account of my sins and 
the abuse of Thy grace. Have pity on this miserable sinner, 
who dares not raise his eyes to Thee and is penetrated with 
sorrow. 

Eighth Day. 

Be abject in your own eyes, and esteem yourself happy to be 
regarded so by others. Do not exalt yourself on account of the gifts 
of God. Then you will be perfectly humble. — St, Bonaventure, 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi persuaded herself that she was the 
most miserable of creatures, that there was nothing on 
earth more abominable than herself. Her great humility 
made her exaggerate her least faults, so that others also 
might have the same opinion of her. It was a great torment 
to so humble a soul to hear herself praised, to see herself 
esteemed. She was most unhappy that she was unable to 
hide the favors which Our Lord granted her as a sign of His 
love and of her predilection. 



40 February, 

Another saint attributed to her sins all those committed 
by others. She said she resembled the demon on account 
of her pride and ingratitude. 

Prayer. 

Lord^ have compassion on the greatest of sinners^ on be- 
holding that I detest my sins because they offend Thee 
Who art my Father^ my God. 

Ninth Day. 

Humility, wliich Jesus Christ has so recommended by word and 
example, should have three conditions. It should convince us that 
v^e deserve to be blamed by men. It should make us rejoice when 
others see our faults and despise us. If God performs any good in 
us or through us, it should make us attribute it to the mercy of God 
and the merit of others. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Vincent de Paul said of himself that he was an old 
sinner^ unworthy to live^ and was much in need of the 
mercy of God on account of the enormity of his sins. 
Prostrating himself one day before the priests of his con- 
gregation, they were astonished to hear him thus address 
them : " If you knew my miseries, you would drive me 
from the congregation of which I have charge, which I dis- 
honor, and to which I do harm.^^ He often spoke of the 
lowliness of his birth. One day a nephew called to see him, 
who was dressed in the costume of a poor peasant. The 
saint afterwards accused himself to his priests of the 
mortification he felt in presenting his relative to them and 
to some other gentlemen who were present on that occasion. 
Having occasion to speak frequently of his slavery at Tunis, 
he never mentioned that he was the cause of bringing back 
to the Church his master, who was a renegade, lest it might 
awaken vain thoughts in him. If necessity or charity 
obliged him to speak of any good that he did, it was always 
to the zeal of others he attributed his success. 



Humility, 41 

Prayer. 
I acknowledge, my God, that I merit all kinds of re- 
proaches, humiliations, and contempt. I have done only 
evil. I am ready to submit to wliatever punishment Thou 
mayst inflict. But remember Thou art my Father. Spare 
me in the world to come. 

Tenth Day. 

We should always consider others as our superiors, and even 
submit ourselves to those who are our inferiors, by showing a wish 
to serve them. May God well establish us in this excellent practice I 
— St. Vincent de Paul. 

There was no one St. Vincent de Paul did not esteem. 
In his eyes every one was better than himself, more pru- 
dent, more perfect, better fitted to perform any duty. From 
this, he had no difficulty in preferring the opinions of 
others to his own. This thought that all others were 
better than himself it was that made him constantly place 
himself at the feet of all. 

Imagine that you hear Jesus Christ address you in these 
words: " If you wish for a great love of God, keep yourself 
interiorly at the feet of all creatures. Believe that this is 
your place.^^ 

Prayer, 

I have good reason, my God, to prefer myself to no one. 
There is no one more guilty than I, more unworthy of Thy 
mercies. Have pity on a miserable worm of the earth, who 
has the audacity to rebel against Thee and make use of 
Thy gifts to offend Thee. 

Eleventh Day. 

Our Saviour has said that it is necessary for him who would 
become greater than others to make himself the least. This is a 
truth all Christians believe. How is it so few conform their lives 
to li'i—St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Paula, according to St. Jerome, was so filled with the 
thought of her own nothingness, on account of her great 



42 February. 

humility, that one who was not acquainted with her, and 
wished to see her on account of the great reputation for 
sanctity she had acquired, would never suspect it was she 
from the lowliness of her aspect. Surrounded by a number 
of pious virgins, there was nothing in her exterior, in her 
language or manners to distinguish her from them. One 
would think she was the last among those to whom she 
was a mother and a model. 

" I am not worthy to be looked upon, to be borne with; 
I am not worthy to live, since I have sinned; I am worthy 
only to be despised and abused ; I am worthy only of hell/^ 
said a great servant of God. 

Prayer. 

Teach me, my God, to be little in my own eyes, to be the 
least of all. Deign to make known to me my ingratitude 
to Thee, and that I may never lose sight of it, but be always 
deeply penetrated with the sense of it. 

Twelfth Day. 

Do not tMnk you have made any progress in perfection until 
you regard yourself as the last of all, and desire that all others should 
be preferred to you, because it belongs to those who are great in 
the eyes of God to be little in their own. — 8t. Teresa. 

A monk said to his abbot that he .never lost sight of 
God. The abbot, who was a saint, replied: ^^ That is a 
very small thing ; it would be a much greater thing if you 
always placed yourself beneath every one.^^ 

It is said of St. Teresa that her thoughts were always 
occupied in regarding her own faults and in admiring the 
virtues of others. When she would hear of others doing a 
good work, she would exclaim: '*'How happy for them! All 
are endeavoring to serve God but me.^^ 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that I may never lose sight of my lowli- 
ness, my weakness, my inconstancy, the abuse I make of 



Humility, 43 

Thy graces, and of my iniquities. Let this thought fill me 
with confusion, and bring me often to Thee for mercy. 

Thirteenth Day. 

To be great before God, by the practice of virtue, and little and 
vile in our own eyes — this is the humility so agreeable to God, and 
so rare among men. — Bt. Bernard. 

St. Teresa, meditating on the singular favors she re- 
ceived from God, made it an occasion to humble herself 
profoundly. " They are the supports which prove my 
weakness, ^^ said she. ^^A house that is not solid has all 
the more need of stays to support it.^^ 

There was no virtue that was not to be found in St. 
Vincent de Paul, although he studied to hide them all. 
According to himself, he was so poor in spiritual gifts that 
he deserved the title of miserable^ which was the name he 
chose. 

Prayer, 

My God, I desire but the title of miserable and of sinner, 
since there is nothing in me but sin and misery. Alas ! in 
which of my works canst Thou discover anything but 
faults ? I am lost if Thou dost not treat me according to 
Thy mercy. 

Fourteenth Day. 

Yain complacency, and the desire that others would speak of us 
and praise us, is an evil which makes us forget God and spoils our 
holiest actions. There is no vice more pernicious to those who 
would make any progress in the spiritual life. — Bt, Vincent de Paul. 

From his earliest years, St. Thomas Aquinas abhon-ed 
praise. He was never heard to speak one word that 
showed he sought the esteem of creatures. He acknowl- 
edged one day to a religious that, with God^s grace, lie had 
never been tempted to pride. St. Vincent de Paul had 
taken the resohition that never without necessity would he 
speak of anything that might attract esteem. Travelling one 
day with three priests, he related to them some interesting 



44 February. 

events that had happened to him ; but in the middle of the 
narrative^ when they were most entertained^ he was seen to 
strike his breast and heard to say that he was a miserable 
sinner, full of pride and always speaking of himself. The 
priests having reached their destination, he threw himself 
on his knees before them, and begged pardon for the bad 
example he had given them. 

Prayer, 

humble Jesus, my adorable Master, give me indiffer- 
ence for the esteem of men, a horror of their praise, love 
for humiliations and contempt. Grant that I may love to 
be unknown, forgotten, covered with disgrace for Thy 
sake. Never permit me to speak to my advantage, nor be 
governed by vanity, nor listen to self-love. Give me true 
humility, a profound humility of heart. 

Fifteenth Day. 

What does it signify if we are calumniated, despised, outraged 
by men, if we are innocent before God and agreeable in His eyes? 
The saints made it their pleasure to be little and abject in the hearts 
of all. — 8t, Teresa, 

Monseigneur Camus, bishop of Belley, complained to St. 
Francis of Sales of a great injury that had been done him. 
The Bishop of Geneva said to him: "I admit they have 
done wrong to treat you thus ; they should respect your 
character. I find fault with you only in one point. ^^ ^^In 
what?'^ asked the bishop of Belley. "It is that you are not 
as prudent as you ought to be ; it would become you to be 
silent. ^^ The friend of St. Francis of Sales acknowledged 
his fault. 

Prayer, 

my divine Saviour, I consent to be disapproved of, 
blamed, despised, for Thy love. It matters not whether I 
please or displease creatures, if I am agreeable in Thy eyes. 
I desire to live only in Thy heart. 



Humility, 45 



Sixteenth Day. 

When you see one who desires honors and flees abjection, and 
who when meeting persecution or contempt is troubled and com- 
plains, be assured that even should he work miracles, he is far from 
perfection, his virtue is without foundation.— /S^. Thomas Aquinas. 

This saint abhorred honors and praise. Clement IV. 
offered him the Archbishopric of Naples. He not only 
refused, but obtained the fayor from the same Pontiff that 
he would never offer him any other dignity. It was through 
pure obedience that he took the degree of Doctor. He re- 
joiced when in college that one, whose master he might 
have been, but who had been given to him as a teacher, 
called him the dumb ox, attributing his silence to ignorance 
and want of talent. One day, while reading publicly during 
dinner, he was ordered to pronounce a word in a different 
manner. He repeated the word immediately as he was 
told, though he was sure it was wrong. " It matters little,^^ 
said he afterwards to one of his companions, '' to make a 
syllable long or short; but it is of extreme importance to 
be humble and obedient.^^ 

Prayer, 

Lord, grant that I may be afflicted and that I may 
suffer when I receive marks of esteem and respect, when I 
am praised, or when I am preferred to others. I de- 
serve to be despised, to be hated by all creatures, because 
I am a great sinner. Alas! I have scarcely done anything 
but offend Thee all my life. 

Seventeenth Day. 

The most profound degree of humility is to receive humiliations 
and abjections with the same complacency that vain persons do the 
greatest honors. — St. Francis de Sales. 

St. Dominic dwelt with much more pleasure in the dio- 
cese of Carcassonne than in that of Toulouse, where he 
had converted numbers of heretics. He was asked the 



46 February. 

reason. He replied : " In Toulouse they load me with 
honors ; in Carcassonne I am abhorred^ persecuted, in- 
sulted/' 

^^It would be much more agreeable to me/' said St. 
Felix, a Capuchin, "to see myself insulted, despised, and 
covered with disgrace in the streets of Eome than to find 
myself honored and respected by the people.'' 

Prayer, 

My God, do not permit that the praise or esteem of men 
be for me a hindrance to my salvation. I desire to be hon- 
ored and loved but by Thee. I wish to please Thee alone. 

Eighteenth Day. 

He who is truly humble can never persuade himself that any one 
can do him wrong. What a thought !— that He Who is our Creator 
bears with so many injuries from His creatures, and we are wounded 
by a word ! It matters little if we are esteemed or not, whether good 
or evil is said of us. Honors should be to us a greater affliction than 
injuries or insult. — St. Teresa. 

When St. Francis of Sales saw that some were afflicted be- 
cause he had been calumniated, he said : " Let them alone. 
It is a cross of words, a breath of air, the remembrance of 
which should perish with its sound. One must be very 
delicate to be unable to suffer the bite of a fly. What 
wrong can they do us by having an evil opinion of us, when 
we should have the same opinion of ourselves ?" 

Prayer. 

How can any one wrong me, my God — I who have of- 
fended Thee, and who have so often deserved hell ? I am 
a monster of ingratitude against whom all creatures should 
arise to avenge the outrages I have committed against 
Thee. 



Humility. 47 



Nineteenth Day. 

One who is humble, when he receives humiliations, humbles him- 
self still more ; when he is covered with contempt, rejoices that he 
is despised ; when he is given an occupation that is low and abject, 
acknowledges that it is better than he deserves, and performs it with 
pleasure; he flees only those places that are distinguished and honor- 
able. — St. Jane Frances. 

A gentleman on one occasion being very angry with 
St. Vincent de Paul, in his fury said something rude and 
insulting. The saint immediately threw himself at his 
feet, begged his pardon for perhaps giving him occasion 
to speak in sucli a manner. 

A certain person, who was a leader in one of those errors 
which excited much discussion in the last century, proposed 
these false maxims to the same saint for adoption. Finding 
he could not succeed, he endeavored to injure him, called 
him ignorant, and said he was astonished the congregation 
had chosen him for superior-general. ^^I am still more 
astonished than you are,^^ replied the saint. " I am incom- 
parably more ignorant than you can imagine." 

Prayer. 

Make me humble, Lord, that I may rejoice when I am 
insulted and despised. My Saviour would be covered with 
shame ; why should not His disciples love contempt ? 

Twentieth Day. 

The missionaries should desire to appear of low extraction, to 
have little talent and virtue. When they are despised, or the con- 
gregation receive any humiliations, they should rejoice. Through 
these means they will learn what progress they have made in hu- 
mility. —St. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint, who knew so well how useful are humilia- 
tions when endured with a spirit of religion, loved them 
in such a manner that it is related of him by a worthy priest, 
who knew him well, that he never saw an ambitious man 



48 February. 

have more affection for the honors of the world than this 

humble servant of God had for abjections and contempt. 

One might say that in this consisted his delight here 

below. 

Praijer. 

Grant that I may regard humiliations as my treasure; 

that I may seek more and more each day to bless God in 

humiliations, and make acts and practices of this great 

virtue. 

Twenty- FIRST Day. 

To support in a Christian manner humiliations and opprobriums 
is the touchstone of humility and true virtue, because in so doing 
we are more like to Jesus Christ, the true Model of all solid virtue. 
— St. Francis of Sales. 

It is related of St. Amonius that he had arrived at so 
high a degree of perfection that he had become as insensible 
to contempt as though he were a stone. No matter what 
the insult, he never felt that he had received an injury. 

^^ To suffer injuries without complaining is the door by 
which our fathers have entered heaven/'^ said an abbot to 
his monks; this exercise makes easy, even agreeable, that 
which at first appeared so diflScult. 

Prayer. 

My God, I am well worthy to be despised, since I have 
despised Thy commandments, since I have outraged Thy 
perfections. I deserve to be under the feet of all, since I 
have consented to be the slave of the demon. Grant that 
this thought may render me eager for humiliations. 

Twenty-second Day. 

He who is truly humble desires to be despised, turned into de- 
rision, persecuted and calumniated. If we would imitate Jesus 
Christ, it is in this we can most closely follow Him. Would it not 
be wise in us to rejoice in contempt, to desire that we be looked 
upon as the last of men, since He Who is Wisdom itself was so re- 
garded ? — St. Teresa. 

A holy religious often asked of her Superior the permis- 



Humility. 49 

sion to confess her faults publicly, and also begged her to 
impose humiliating penances upon her that she might be 
despised by all. 

St. Catharine of Genoa said: " When I do wrong, it is I 
alone who do it ; I can attribute it neither to the demon 
nor to any creature, but solely to my evil inclinations, my 
pride, my sensuality. If Our Lord did not assist me con- 
tinually with His grace, what would I not become! I am 
worse than the demon in doing evil.^^ When some little 
fault was committed through weakness, she would say, 
^^This is a plant of my garden,^' and humbled herself still 

more. 

Prayer. 

My God, I am incapable of any good of myself, I am 
capable only of doing evil. How can I be proud ? Con- 
vinced of this truths ought I not to have a sovereign con- 
tempt for myself ? 

Twenty-third Day. 

If we consider well all there is in us that is human and im- 
perfect, what would we not find to humble us before God, before 
men, even before our inferiors!— /S^. Vincent do Paul. 

St. Teresa relates that Our Lord having enlightened 
her with a heavenly light, she immediately saw herself full 
of abominable faults; she appeared to herself like a demon. 
*^How much more would I have seen,^^ said she, "if Our 
Lord had still further enlightened me!^^ Confounded at 
the sight of her miseries, she humbled herself continually. 
If it happened that she received some mark of disrespect, 
far from being troubled or complaining, she only said : 
''They are right; they do well to speak thus, to treat me 
in such a manner.^^ 

Praijer. 

my God, in Thy eyes I was a demon when sin reigned 
'in my heart. Ought I not fear that I am still one, since I 
know not but that sin still reigns in me ? Grant that this 
thought may lessen my pride and keep me humble before 
Thee. 



50 February. 



Twenty-fourth Day. 

In my opinion, we shall never acquire true humility unless we 
raise our eyes towards Our Lord. The soul which considers the 
greatness of God sees best its own baseness; in considering His holi- 
ness it sees better its own unworthiness; when it contemplates His 
patience it sees how far removed it is from Him; in a word, on fix- 
ing her eyes on His divine perfections she discovers in herself so 
many and so great imperfections that she is penetrated with con- 
fusion, and begs Our Lord to deliver her from them. — Si. Teresa. 

From the great knowledge St. Vincent de Paul had 
of the perfections of God came the lowly opinion he 
had of himself^ and his ardent desire for humiliations. '' If 
each of us/^ said he to his missionaries, "applied himself to 
know what he is in the eyes of God, he would certainly ac- 
knowledge that it is just and right for him to humble him- 
self. God is so holy, we are so incapable of anything that is 
good, we have so natural an inclination to evil, so continual 
a one, we have sinned so often, so grievously. What motives 
have we not for confusion I^^ 

Prayer. 

Who art Thou, my God, and who am I ? Thou art the 
Lord of lords, and I am nothing. Thou art the Holy of 
holies, and I am a wretched sinner. I deserve to be with 
the demons in hell. Lord, have Thou pity on me. 

Twenty- FIFTH Day 

He who would be a true saint ought not to defend himself, except 
in a few particular cases, when he is accused unjustly. Jesus Christ 
has given us the example; for, hearing Himself accused of something 
He was not guilty of. He did not utter a word to vindicate himself. 
—St. Philip Neri. 

St. Vincent de Paul was often calumniated, but he 
was never heard to complain, nor to say anything to show 
that he was not guilty. '' I shall justify myself only by my 
works,^^ he said to the Fathers of his Congregation. One 



Humility. 51 

day the Queen told him he had been accused of something 
she could not think him guilty of. "Madam/^ he replied 
simply^ " I am a great sinner/^ When the Queen urged 
that it was his duty to prove his innocence, he answered : 
'' Our Lord was accused of worse things, and He never 
justified Himself/^ 

Prayer, 
Would I not be covered with confusion if men knew my 
thoughts, my affections, my works ? my God, dost Thou 
not know all ? Should I not die of confusion when I think 
that Thou hast seen all ? 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

To be reprimanded for one's faults and not excuse one's self is more 
Lelpful to perfection than to have heard ten sermons with the best 
dispositions. It is a sign that one is not ambitious for the esteem 
of creatures, and in accustoming one's self not to seek excuses in such 
circumstances one listens as if it were of a stranger they were 
speaking. — Bt. Teresa. 

Father Alvarez having been accused in a provincial 
assembly of a fault of which he was not guilty, and publicly 
reprimanded in the most severe manner, he said not a 
word in his defence, neither at that time nor ever after- 
wards. Our Lord recompensed his heroic silence by ex- 
traordinary favors. 

Prayer, 

My God, I take the resolution never to excuse myself, 
never to justify myself. Grant me grace to be faithful to 
this resolution which Thou hast inspired me to make, as a 
proof of my love for Thee. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

One of the best means to acquire humility is profoundly to en- 
grave in our minds this maxim: Each one is reallj' only what he is 
in the eyes of God, nothing more. — Thomas a Kempis. 

St. Francis of Sales had meditated well upon this 
salutary maxim ; hence the remarkable tranquillity observed 



52 February. 

in him, no matter what the opinion of others respecting 
him might be. Having been calnmniated, he said : " If it 
pleased God, I would wish that my innocence be never 
known, even at the universal judgment, but that it be 
eternally buried among the secrets of eternal wisdom/^ 
Again he said : " If with the help of God I have done any 
good works, or if God has made use of me to do anything 
for Him, I would be well satisfied if, at the day of judg- 
ment, when the secrets of hearts shall be made manifest, 
my justice be seen by God alone, and my injustices be per- 
ceived by all creatures/^ 

Prayer. 
My God, I renounce pride, self-love, vanity, desire of the 
esteem and love of creatures. Give me a profound humility 
of heart and mind. I will make use of every occasion to 
practise humility. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

All who have had a true desire to become humble have practised 
humiliation. They knew it was the assured road to acquire that 
virtue, and that there is none better. — Bi. Bernard. 

St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, St. Francis of Borgia, St. 
Magdalene of Pazzi, St. Teresa, seized every occasion to 
humble themselves. 

We read, in St. John Climacus, of a monk who had a 
great love of humility, and in order to triumph over 
temptations to vanity, with which he was often assailed, 
wrote on the walls of his cell these remarkable words : 
Perfect charity. Love of prayer. Entire mortification. Un- 
alterable siveetness. Invincible patience. Angelic chastity. 
Profound humility. Filial confidence. Perfect exactitude. 
Admirable resignation. 

When the devil came to tempt him to vanity, he said to 
himself: *^ I will prove you have no cause to be vain.^^ Ap- 
proaching the wall, he read what was written thereon, mak- 
ing these reflections : ^' Have I perfect charity — I who speak 



Humility. 53 

ill of others ? A love of prayer — I who cannot say oije 
prayer without distractions ? Entire mortification — I 
who seek continually to satisfy myself? An unalterable 
sweetness — I who so often look severely at my brethren? 
An invincible patience — I who will suffer nothing with- 
out complaining? An angelic chastity — I who, neglecting 
to watch over my senses, allow thoughts that are not pure 
to find a place in my mind ? A filial confidence — I who go 
so rarely to God as to a father? Perfect exactitude — I who 
have never performed one action without some imperfec- 
tion? An admirable resignation — I who find it so hard to 
submit my will to that of God^s ? 

Prayer. 
I have no virtues, I have every vice; how, then, dare I be 
proud ? Grant, my God, that in justice I may con- 
stantly humble myself before Thee. Deign to cast a look 
of compassion on so miserable a sinner. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

Humility, to be true, should be always accompanied by charity ; 
that is, we should love, seek, and accept humiliations to please God 
and to resemble Jesus Christ. — Bi. Francis of Sales. 

St. Vincent de Paul, whose humility was so sincere 
that one might read it upon his forehead, in his eyes, and 
in all his exterior, made humiliations and contempt his de- 
light, to imitate the excessive abasement of the Son of God, 
Who, he said in one of his conferences, " being the splen- 
dor and glory of His Father, not content to lead a life of 
continual humiliations on earth, wished even to be perpet- 
ually represented to our eyes in a state of extreme ignominy, 
nailed to a cross like a malefactor.'^ St. Jerome relates that 
St. Paula learning that it was said of her that her piety had 
made her foolish, and that it would be well to make a hole 
in the top of her head to give her brains air, the humble 
servant of God replied immediately, in the Avords of the 
Apostle: ''It is for the love of Jesus Christ we are foolish.'' 



54 February. 

Prayer. 

My God, give me a love of humiliations, that this love 
may make me desire to acquire humility to please Jesus, 
to AVhom it is so dear, Who so profoundly humbled Him- 
self, and Who teaches His disciples to learn of Him to be 
meek and humble of heart. 



MARCH. 

Tvlortifica-tion. 



^^ If any man will come after Me, let Mm deny himself^ — St. 
Matt. xvi. 24. 

First Day. 

The first step for one to make who would follow Jesus Christ, as 
He Himself says, is to renounce himself, that is, his senses, his pas- 
sions, his will, his judgment, in fine, every movement of nature. All 
these sacrifices are agreeable to God and necessary for us. He who, 
as he thinks, has already one foot in heaven, should he fail in this 
exercise, when the time came to place the other foot there, would 
find, instead of being secure, his salvation in danger. — Si. Vincent de 
Paul, 

This saint excelled in the virtue of mortification. He 
practised it until the last moment of his life^ and thus 
became master of his passions to such a degree that he 
appeared to have none. 

According to St. John Climacus, the hermits who were 
most advanced in perfection were careful never to abandon 
mortification, lest by so doing the other virtues they had 
acquired might abandon them. They said they were like the 
earth : no matter how rich and fertile it might be, if one 
ceased to cultivate it it would produce nothing but thorns 
and weeds. 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, with all my heart I renounce myself, to 
be truly Thy disciple. I make Thee the sacrifice of my 
senses, my passions, my judgment, and my will. I will do 
nothing more for my gratification alone. 

55 



56 March. 



Second Day. 

We should measure our advancement in the spiritual life by the 
progress we make in the virtue of mortification, holding for certain 
that in proportion as our zeal increases for being mortified we shall 
become more perfect. — St. Jerome. 

When St. Francis Borgia heard it said of any one, " He 
is a saint/^ he would reply : '' He will he a saint if he 
constantly mortify himself.^^ It was in the practice of 
this virtue in particular that he sanctifiied himself; he 
looked upon as lost or ill-spent the day he had not practised 
some mortification either spiritual or corporal. '^ Why/^ 
asked a young anchorite of a holy old man, ^'' among so 
many who aim at perfection, do so few become perfect V^ 
^^It is/^ replied he, "because to be truly perfect we must die 
to our inclinations, and very few make this great sacrifice.^^ 

Prayer. 
My God, grant me the strength and courage necessary to 
continually combat my natural inclinations, to mortify my- 
self in all things. 

Third Day. 

Our principal business should be to conquer ourselves, and to be- 
come more perfect every day in this practice. It is particularly 
necessary that we should apply ourselves to be victorious in little 
temptations, such as vivacity, suspicions, jealousy, indolence, vanity. 
By so doing we shall obtain the strength to resist greater ones. — 8t, 
Francis of Sales. 

It was asked of an excellent Christian, whose patience 
was admirable, how he supported without complaining 
many insults which he received daily from a number of 
young people who made him an object of derision. He re- 
plied: ^^It often occurs to me to mortify them by answer- 
ing them; but I say to myself. If I cannot suffer so little a 
thing, how could I be patient under circumstances where 
I should have much more to bear T^ 



Mortification. 5 7 

St. Francis Xavier often repeated this maxim: '' He who 
does not know how to conquer himself in little things can- 
not do so in great ones/^ 

Prayer, 

Lord, teach me what I should avoid and what I should 
do to overcome myself. But do not content Thyself to in- 
struct me; assist me with Thy grace; give me the courage 
which I need. 

Fourth Day. 

He who permits himself to be led and governed by the inferior or 
animal part of his nature deserves the name of beast rather than that 
of man. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

Philip, Count of Nemours, having led a wicked life, was 
after a time given by God grace to see the enormity of his 
sins; he was filled with horror at the frightful state of his 
soul, and wept bitterly. On his death-bed, penetrated 
with lively sorrow, he begged those who were attending 
him to carry him to the public square, and leave him to die 
without any assistance at the last hour. ^^I have lived like 
a dog,^^ he said ; " it is but right I should die like one.^^ 

St. Vincent de Paul, having converted a great sinner, sug- 
gested to him an excellent practice. ^^ Ask yourself often 
during the day this question : To what am I most inclined ? 
When you find that it is something earthly, renounce it.^^ 
The penitent was faithful to this practice, and became a per- 
fect Christian. 

Prayer. 

my God, I am afflicted because I have never lived 
as a Christian, not lived even as a reasonable man. I have 
lived like a beast — like a demon. Now I desire only the 
sentiments of Jesus Christ, to live by the movement of His 
grace. 



58 March. 



Fifth Day. 

He who makes little account of exterior mortifications, and says 
that interior mortifications are more perfect, shows clearly that he is 
mortified neither exteriorly nor interiorly. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint regarded Ms body as his greatest enemy. He 
treated it in a most austere manner^ making use of hair- 
clotli, chains, and a leathern belt bound with iron. Every 
morning, upon rising, he took a severe discipline. He 
slept on the plainest bed; he always arose at the regular 
hour fixed for the community, although his many occupa- 
tions and infirmities often prevented him from having more 
than two hours^ sleep during the night. When overcome 
with sleep during the day, he banished it by placing him- 
self in some painful position. In the severity of winter he 
scarcely ever warmed himself. In a word, he was most 
watchful to let no occasion pass by without mortifying 
himself. He might with another saint have said: ^^I kill 
my body, lest it kill my soul.^^ 

Prayer. 

I will look upon my body as a rebellious slave. I will 
chastise it every day, lest it rule over my soul and cause its 
eternal death. 

Sixth Day. 

3Iortification of the appetite is the A B C of the spiritual life. He 
who does not know how to suppress the vice of gluttony in himself 
will only with great difficulty triumph over his other vices. He will 
be compelled to wage a continual war with them, if he would not 
have them govern him entirely. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

This great saint took merely the nourishment necessary 
for him. He ate little, always with great modesty, and in 
the presence of God. He never rose from the table with- 
out having practised some mortifications. His preference 
was for food that was insipid or not well seasoned. One 



Mortification. 59 

day eggs were placed before him which were thought to 
be cooked, but were not. He ate them without saying a 
word, or showing any repugnance. 

We read of Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal, that she fasted 
one half the year upon bread and water; of St. Bernard, 
that he drank oil in place of wine without perceiving the 
difference — that it was a torment when he was under the 
necessity of taking food; of St. Isidor, that he never ate 
without mingling tears with his bread. 

Prayer, 

My God, assist me with Thy grace to sanctify my repasts 
by a fervent prayer and an offering of them to Thee, and by 
a remembrance of the heavenly bread with which Thou 
nourishest us at Thy table« 



Seventh Day. 

One of the things which keeps us far from perfection is, without 
doubt, our tongue. When one has arrived at that point that he does 
not sin with the tongue he is perfect, according to the Holy Ghost. 
This is why we must speak little and well— little and with simplicity, 
with charity, and in a manner that will make virtue appear amiable. 
— Bt, Francis of Bales. 

St. Louis Gonzaga, before speaking, with fervor addressed 
to God this prayer of the prophet: '^^ Lord, place a guard 
over my lips/^ 

St. Vincent de Paul was so perfect a master of his tougue 
that he was never heard to say a useless word. When he 
was overburdened with occupations, which frequently hap- 
pened, he would only say: ''Blessed be God! We must be 
content with what He sends/' 

St. Louis Gonzaga, being one day asked by a compan- 
ion what means he took to avoid sin in speaking, replied: 
"Before speaking I think of what I am about to say, and 
recommend myself to God, that I may say nothing to dis- 
please Him.'^ 



6o March, 



Prayer, 

My God, I humbly ask pardon for so many sins which I 
have committed with this tongue, which Thou hast given 
me to bless Thee. I will punish myself by speaking little, 
and never of myself without necessity, or against charity 
or truth, but only to induce others to love Thee. 

Eighth Day. 

According to the doctrine of the saints, one of the principal 
means to lead a Christian and exemplary life is to observe modesty 
of the eyes. If there is nothing more necessary than this virtue to 
preserve piety in the soul and to edify our neighbor, there is noth- 
ing which tends more to sensuality and gives more scandal than the 
opposite fa.\i\i.—Bodrzguez. 

The modesty of St. Bernardin was such that his presence 
alone was a restraint upon those of his companions who 
were most disorderly. It suflBced to say, ^^ Bernardin is 
coming, ^^ when all conducted themselves in the most orderly 
manner. 

Pope Innocent II., accompanied by several cardinals, 
visited the monastery of Clairvaux, of which St. Bernard 
was abbot. The modesty of the saint and of his religious 
was so remarkable, and it so touched the Pope and those 
who were with him, that they were moved to tears. 

It was asked of St. Clare of Montefalco why she never 
looked in the face of those to whom she spoke. She re- 
plied : ^^ Of what use is it to look upon the face of the one 
to whom I speak, since it is with the tongue alone that I 
speak ? The eyes of David would not have shed so many 
tears if he had been more mortified in his looks. ^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I will make an agreement with my eyes to turn 
them away as soon as any object excites the fire of passion. 
Grant that I may raise them to Thee. All creatures pub- 



Mortification. . 6 1 

lish Thy perfections and invite me to love Thee ; grant 
that I may understand their language. 

Ninth Day. 

Believe me, the mortification of the senses, — of the sight, the hear- 
ing, the tongue, — is more beneficial than to wear a chain of iron and 
the hair-shirt. — Bt. Francis of Sales. 

A woman confessed to St. Francis Xavier to having re- 
garded a man with looks not pure. " You are unworthy that 
God should look upon you, since in permitting yourself this 
satisfaction you have exposed your soul to lose your 
God/^ said the saint. These words so touched the woman 
that she never after was known to raise her eyes to look 
upon the face of any person. 

It is related of St. Louis Gonzaga, who had been two 
years at court, that he was asked, when the Empress 
visited Home, where he was at the time, whether he did 
not know her. He replied : " If I were in her presence, I 
would recognize her voice, but not her face, as I have 
never looked upon it.'^ 

A person who was not always very prudent in his words 
asked his director to give him permission to wear a hair- 
shirt. His confessor placed a finger on his mouth, saying : 
" The best hair-shirt for you is to pay more attention to 
all that passes through this door.^^ 

Prayer. 
My God, I beg of Thee never let my senses be the door 
by which sin may enter my heart. I consecrate them to 
Thee. I will watch without ceasing over myself. I offer 
myself to Thee as a sacrifice, by continual mortification. 

Tenth Day. 

There are some who have so much zeal for practices of mortifica- 
tion that they find means to mortify themselves in all things and at 
all times. Oh, excellent practice ! how beneficial it is ! — Rodriguez, 

St. Francis Borgia studied what were his natural inclina- 



62 • March. 

tions, and then combated them continually. He blessed God 
when He gave him an occasion to suffer. He dressed him- 
self in such a manner as to feel the cold of winter and 
the heat of summer. He wore constantly small stones in 
his shoes. His bed, upon which he took a few hours^ rest 
in the night, might be called a cross rather than a bed of 
repose. When under burning suns, instead of seeking 
shade, he walked more leisurely than ordinarily. 

Prayer. 

My God, I am conyinced of the necessity there is for 
me to mortify myself in punishment for the many sins 
I have committed, and to preserve myself from committing 
others. Grant that I may crucify myself, to imitate my 
Saviour, Who died on the cross for my sins. 

Eleventh Day. 

It is interior mortification which should, as much as possible, reg- 
ulate our exterior. — 8t. Teresa. 

When some one asked St. Philip Neri what he should do 
to sanctify himself, he placed his hand on his forehead, and 
said: ^^Give me this, and I will make you a saint ;^^ mean- 
ing that sanctity depends upon the renouncement of our 
will and judgment. ^^It is the mind and the heart we 
must mortify before the shoulders,^^ said he to a person 
who was attached to his own will and wished to punish his 
body with instruments of penance. 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, Who wouldst be a Man of sorrows, for Thy 
love I will henceforth satisfy myself in nothing. I make 
Thee the sacrifice of my will ; I will deny my inclinations 
in all things to please Thee. 



Mortification. 63 



Twelfth Day. 

To make progress in virtue, it is not a question of how much to 
mortify one's self, but to choose the best mortifications. These 
mortifications are those which are most opposed to our natural in- 
clinations. — Bt, Francis of Sales, 

The Venerable Palafox said the reason he had not made 
progress in virtue was because he had not been watchful 
to fly from what his inclinations most tended. He who, 
discovering his vicious inclinations, is not attentive in 
combating them, goes back instead of advancing in piety, 
and finally may have the misfortune to lose his soul. 

A religious who had been given an employment that did 
not flatter his self-love, found it an occasion of much re- 
pugnance and temptation. In order to triumph over 
himself, he promised God before his crucifix to remain all 
his life in this employment if it were the will of his supe- 
riors. Having thus conquered himself, all else became easy 
to him. 

Prayer, 

My God, I will do violence to myself continually to save 
my soul. I will do violence to my mind hj keeping it 
recollected. I will do violence to my passions by subduing 
them without ceasing. Assist me by Thy grace. 

Thirteenth Day. 

The mortifications which come to us from God, or from men by 
His permission, are more precious than those which are the ofi'spriDg 
of our will. Hold it as a rule, that the less we do from choice 
or our own taste, the more we shall find in our actions of goodness, 
of solidity, of devotion, and of profit. — 81. Francis of Sales. 

An excellent religious was in the habit of saying, in the 
many trials she underwent, ^^ God wills it;^^ so that she 
was given the name of Sister of the Will of God, 

St. Teresa received all crosses, interior as well as ex- 



64 March. 

terior, with respect, gratitude, and love; she looked upon 
them as a proof of God^s love, as an inestimable present 
from a tender father, as precious coin with which she might 
purchase heaven. 

When Our Saviour favored with crosses a servant of God, 
he said without ceasing, ''Fiat,'' Be it done, Be it done, 
and recited the 2'e Deum. 

Prayer, 

My Saviour, Thou knowest which are the crosses most 
salutary for me. I submit to them, I desire them ; I re- 
ceive them with gratitude, and will not cease to bless Thee 
while I carry them. While I suffer, remember me, and 
assist me with Thy grace. 

Fourteenth Day. 

The more we mortify our natural inclinations, the more capable 
we become of receiving divine inspirations and of making progress 
in virtue. — Si. Francis of Sales. 

We read of many saints who, having the care of sick, and 
finding within themselves an extreme repugnance to certain 
maladies, especially wounds or sores, triumphed over their 
natural aversion so much that they reproached themselves 
for it as if it were a sin against charity, and even touched 
with their lips, in a spirit of penance, those wounds from 
which they shrank at first with such horror. Our Lord 
recompensed these heroic acts by a chain of graces of pre- 
dilection, with the assistance of w^hich they arrived at 
eminent sanctity. 

" Is there anything you still cling to ?'' asked a gentleman 
of himself, — one who, after a life of wickedness, was at last 
truly penitent. He remembered that he was still attached 
to his sword; it had served him well in many an action of 
bravery, and was very dear to him. ^'^What!^^ he cried, 
" shall a sword prevent me from belonging to God alone ?'^ 
Taking it from the scabbard, he broke the blade. For this 
sacrifice he received most abundant blessings. 



Mortification. 65 



Prayer, 

My God, what wilt Thou that I do to show my love for 
Thee ? My heart is ready. Fortify me that I may not re- 
fuse any sacrifice Thou mayst ask. If Thou wilt that I 
die, it will be sweet to die to prove my love. 

Fifteenth Day. 

Many Christians make incisions instead of circumcision. There are 
few who use the knife of circumcision to cut out of the heart all 
that is superfluous. — Bt. Francis of Sales. 

St. Jerome says of St. Paula that from her youth she 
applied herself to eradicate from her heart all that she 
thought disagreeable to God. During the life of her hus- 
band^ her life was such that it might have been proposed 
as a model to the ladies of Eome. At his death, finding 
herself released from obligations to a world she abhorred, 
she embraced a most austere life. She took little sleep, 
and that upon the bare floor; clothed with hair-cloth, she 
spent the greater part of the night in prayer. She fasted 
rigorously, and practised other mortifications equally severe. 
When she confessed even the lightest of faults, it was with 
such abundant tears that, to one who was not acquainted 
with her, she might be taken for the greatest of sinners. 
Sometimes it would be said to her: "Do not weep so much; 
you will lose the sight of your eyes, which is necessary for 
the reading of holy books. Moderate your austerities, or 
you v/ill ruin your health.^^ She would reply: ^^I must 
disfigure this face which I have tried to make so beautiful; 
I must chastise this body for which I have procured so 
many delights. Tears should follow laughter. When one 
has worn robes of luxury and vanity, should one not bear 
the rough hair-cloth? I have studied to please the world; 
^ow my desire is to please God, God i^lone/^ 



66 March 



PraijP7\ 

mv God, by how many ties do I not cling to earth I 
Break them for me, my God; grant that I may no longer 
be attached to riches which perish^ honors which are vain, 

pleasures so false. 

Sixteenth Day. 

He who would advance in perfection should take particular care 
not to allow his passions to govern him, which will destroy with one 
hand the edifice he builds with the other. To be master of one's self, 
it is necessary to begin early to resist our inclinations; for if once 
deeply rooted and strengthened, there is hardly ever a remedy. — 
St. Vincent de Paul. 

A holy anchorite^ walking one day with one of his disci- 
ples in a forest of cypress, commanded him to pnll uj) four 
of the trees, pointing to those he wished him to take. The 
first was uprooted without trouble. The second had com- 
menced to take root: it came up with more diflBculty. To 
the third he was obliged to take both hands and employ all 
his strength, as it had become almost a tree. Coming to the 
fourth, it was in vain he exerted all his efforts to move it: 
it was beyond his strength. The holy old man took occasion 
from this to instruct his disciple upon the necessity of com- 
bating our passions in their birth. ^•' My son,''' said he, 
'^ with a little vigilance and mortification one may conquer 
the passions wiiile they are yet young; when they have 
sent their roots deep down into the soul, nothing is so diflB- 
cult, it is even impossible without a miracle of God^s 
power.'^ 

Praijer. 

Grant me grace, Lord, to overcome my pride with 
humility, my attachment to things of this life by a love of 
poverty, my sensuality by seeking to please God alone. 



Mortification. • 67 



Seventeenth Day. 

By continually mortifying the passions during one month, there 
is more merit than in practising for years austere mortifications in 
which self-love perhaps has the greater part.-— /S'^. John of the Cross. 

During the time St. Magdalene of Pazzi was mistress of 
novices, she spoke frequently to them of the necessity of 
opposing their natural inclinations if they would advance 
in virtue, and took every occasion to aid them in this salu- 
tary practice. To those who had more taste for prayer 
she gave more manual exercises, and to those who loved 
work she gave exercises of piety. She found means to 
humble those in whom she discovered a great repugnance 
for the virtue of humility. On one occasion, perceiving 
that one of the novices had a particular affection for a 
book which the saint herself had written, she obliged her 
to burn it. These novices, convinced that their mistress 
sought only their spiritual good, obeyed and made rapid 
progress in virtue. 

Among many little sacrifices made, the following is 
related of a nobleman, who was much beloved by his 
prince, and from whom he received a letter during the 
time he happened to be making a retreat in a religious 
house. He felt within himself a strong desire to sacrifice to 
God the pleasure he would derive from reading this letter 
from so dear a friend during the time of his retreat. He 
obeyed this impulse of grace, thereby rendering himself 
more agreeable to God and bringing down abundant bless- 
ings. 

Prayer, 

My God, give me the spirit of mortification. I would 
wish to please Thee; to refuse everything to my passions, 
and refuse nothing that grace asks of me. I will often 
ask myself, ^^ What does grace ask T^ When I have discov- 
ered that, I will hasten to obey. 



68 . March. 



Eighteenth Day. 

We must above all labor to mortify, to root out our predominant 
passion; I mean b}^ this, that inclination, that vice, that bad habit 
which governs us and leads us into sin. This is the king. When 
once captured, the battle is won.—Bodriguez. 

St. Ignatius frequently said to a novice who was of an 
extremely vivacious and fiery temperament : ^' My son, con- 
quer yourself, and you will have in heaven a crown more 
splendid than many others who are more meek of char- 
acter/^ One day the master of novices complained of him 
as being unmanageable. The saint replied : ^^I think he of 
whom you complain has made more progress in virtue in a 
few months than another whom you praise so much has 
made in a year.^^ 

It might be supposed of St. Francis of Sales that he 
was of a character naturally sweet. It was by virtue alone 
that he acquired this admirable sweetness with which he 
ravished all hearts. Anger, he was heard to say, was the 
passion he had most difi&culty in conquering. 

Prayer. 

Lord, I acknowledge that my pride governs me. I will 
humble myself without ceasing. I have sought to satisfy 
myself in all things; I now renounce all self-seeking. I 
have prayed with coldness and indifference; I will medi- 
tate henceforth on the goodness of God, and perpetually 
adore Him. 

Nineteenth Day. 

Whenever one feels excited with too much ardor, or is over-anx- 
ious to perform some action, no matter how holy it may be, if it be 
possible it is better to defer it till another time, when the heart is 
tranquil, lest self-love insensibly steal in and soil the purity of our 
intention. — St, Vincent de Paul. 

This saint never decided any undertaking, or any business, 
no matter how advantageous it seemed, during the time 



Mortification. 69 

that he felt the desire to succeed was purely natural. 
^^The time has not come to decide/^ he would say; ^^let 
us recommend this affair to God/^ 

St. Francis of Sales said one day to St. Jane Frances de 
Ohantal, whom he had not seen for three years and a half : 
^^ Mother, we have a few hours in which to entertain each 
other ; which of us shall commence to speak ?^^ ^^ItisI/^ 
replied she with much ardor ; " my soul has great need of 
a review.'''' Then St. Francis, wishing to correct this haste, 
replied with gravity, but with much sweetness: ^^What! 
mother, you still nourish your desires, you have yet a 
will ? I thought to have found you an angel. Let us post- 
pone speaking of what regards yourself until we are at 
Annecy; let us speak now of the affairs of our congrega- 
tion.''^ The paper which she held in her hand disap- 
peared, and she conversed with him with the greatest tran- 
quillity upon the affairs of which he had spoken. 

Prayer, 

My God, I purpose with the help of Thy grace to no 
longer follow my natural inclinations, to do nothing in 
haste lest I thereby do my own will. I wish to perform all 
my actions in Thy presence, as if I heard Thee say : " Thy 
eternal salvation depends upon the manner in which thou 
dost this action/^ 

Twentieth Day. 

It is in vain that you labor; you will never arrive at true peace of 
soul until you have renounced all your desires.— /S^. John of the 
Cross. 

In order to conquer sleep, St. Macarius of Alexandria was 
accustomed to pass entire days without sitting; he was satis- 
fied to take a little repose leaning his head againt the wall. 
He weighed the bread he ate, and measured the water he 
drank, so that he might take no more than necessary to 
sustain life. It was by thus combating his inclinations 



70 March. 

that he became so perfect, and was so favored by God that he 
found in meditation a foretaste of the delights of heayen. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will often say. Deign to take from my heart 
all affection that is not for Thee. I desire neither riches, 
honors, nor pleasures in this world, neither the approba- 
tion, esteem, nor love of creatures; I desire only heaven, 
and the grace to arrive there, that I may love, praise, and 
possess Thee eternally. 

Twenty-first Day. 

To conform our will to the will of God is what we should desire 
above all else. In this consists the highest perfection. He who re- 
nounces himself most, and most perfectly follows the will of God, 
will receive the greatest gifts, and make most progress in an interior 
life. — St. Teresa. 

Alphonsus, King of Aragon, who was considered a wise 
prince, being asked one day whom he considered the hap- 
piest among all men, replied: ^'^ It is he who abandons him- 
self most perfectly to the will of God.^^ St. Magdalene of 
Pazzi, upon hearing only these words, will of God, experi- 
enced inexpressible sweetness. 

^^I have never had a bad day,'^ said a poor man unable 
to labor for his bread; ^^'^I am always content. When I am 
hungry, I praise God; when it rains, I bless Him; Avhen I 
am despised, when I am injured, I return glory to God, 
because I will all that God wills, without any reserve. I 
receive all that happens with joy, as being the best for me. 
It is this that makes me happy.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I will all that Thou wiliest. I wish it in the 
same manner that Thou dost. I wish it because Thou 
(lost. My will is Thine, Thy good pleasure is mine. I de- 
sire, I ask only this. Grant that these may be always my 
dispositions, which Thy grace has implanted in my heart. 



Mortification. 71 

Twenty-second Day. 

A soul in which self rules, and which is attached to its own will, 
can have no solid virtue.— /S'^. Teresa. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi often made the following ejacula- 
tion: " My God, I desire but one thing; it is that Thou wilt 
deprive me of my own will; — no, I will no longer to have a 
will/^ 

A fervent religious said one day to one of his brethren 
that it would give him much happiness to serve all the 
Masses that were said in the morning. The other replied 
that it was only necessary to ask permission ; that he was cer- 
tain he would not be refused. "No/^ the first then replied, 
^^I will say nothing; a desire, no matter how holy it be, 
should not be spoiled by self-will. Obedience is the direc- 
tor of our holiest desires/^ 

Prayer. 

My God, destroy in me self-will. Do not permit that I 
perform a single action of my own will. Grant that I may 
speak, walk, act only according to Thy will, which is al- 
ways holy, adorable, and amiable. I desire H to be the 
rule of my life. 

Twenty-third Day. 

Mortify your will to such an extent that, if it be possible, you may 
never satisfy it. Wish that it may be opposed, and rejoice when it so 
happens. Follow rather the will of others, even when it seems that 
your ideas are preferable to theirs. — 8t. Vincent Ferrer. ? 

It was according to this principle that St. Catharine of 
Genoa lived. She congratulated herself when the will of 
others prevailed over hers. It sufficed with her that her 
natural inclinations attracted her towards anything to 
deny herself of it. 

Father Sanchez was in the habit of praying that God 
would refuse any permission he would ask of his Superior 
if the thing he asked were not agreeable to God. 



72 March. 

Prayer. 

My God, I would wish never to satisfy my will; I will 
oppose it without ceasing. I will bless Thee when it is 
refused me. I will follow the will of others rather than 
my own, that by so doing I may sacrifice what is so dear to 
me and what Thou desirest so much. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

Let no day go by without trampling under foot your own will. 
The day upon which you are not faithful to this advice will be a 
day in which you are not a religious. — Bt. John GUmacus, 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi looked upon as lost the day on 
which she had not conquered in some way her own will. 

St. Catharine of Siena heard these words from Our Lord: 
^^ Think of Me, and I will think of thee; think of doing 
My will, and I will think of what is for thy good.-^^ 

Prayer, 

Lord, give me courage to break my will in all things, to 
trample under my feet my own desires. In all that I do 
I will think only of doing Thy will. I would do Thy will 
with the same love that the saints accomplished it. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

If you would learn in what consists the highest degree of abnega- 
tion of our will, it is this: in things that are allowable, to do always 
as others will, without the slightest hesitation. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. Basil, visiting the monasteries of his diocese, desired 
one of the abbots to tell him if, among all the monks, he 
found any one in whom he perceived signs of predestina- 
tion. The abbot presented one to him who was remarka- 
ble for his simplicity. The saint requested this monk to 
bring him water. When he had brought it, ^^ Sit down/^ 
the saint said; ^Hhis water is to wash your feet.^^ The 
monk obeyed, showing no hesitation to see the great Basil 
perform this act of humility for him. Afterwards the 



\\ 



Mortification. 73 

saint remarked: ^^Here is a man truly dead to his own 
will, to his own judgment; it is with reason they regard 
him as one of the predestined/^ The day following, as the 
monk entered the sanctuary, Basil ordered him to approach 
the altar, and ordained him. He became a holy priest. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may die to my own judgment, to 
my own will. I beg this grace that I may be more agreeable 
in Thy eyes. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

The greatest gift one can receive in this world from God is the 
knowledge, the will, and the power to conquer one's self and re- 
nounce one's own will. — 8t. Francis of Assisi. 

The abbot Pasteur was in the habit of saying that our 
own will was a wall of iron, which keeps us at a distance 
and separates us from God. 

The blessed Colette esteemed the mortification of her 
own will of more importance than the renouncement of all 
the riches of the world. ^^AU evils have their growth in 
one root,^^ said St. Bernard; ^^it is our own will.^^ 

During a time of great suffering with St. Francis of 
Assisi, one of the Brothers with much simplicity said: 
"My Father, pray that God may lighten your sufferings; 
His hand is too heavy upon you.^^ The saint replied : " Only 
your simplicity excuses you. I would send you where I 
could not look upon you again. How have you the au- 
dacity to disapprove of the just judgments of God ? 
my God!^^ added he, ^^the accomplishment of Thy will is 
the greatest consolation I can receive in this life.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, teach me the manner to renounce my will. 
Grant that I may desire ardently to do so; assist me to do 
it perfectly. I beg that my greatest consolation here may 
be the accomplishment of Thy holy will. 



74 March. 



Twenty-seventh Day. 

I advise you not to indulge your own judgment. If you do, it is 
beyond a doubt that it will inebriate you, as there is little difference 
between an intoxicated person and one who is attached to his own 
opinions; one has no more reason than the other. — St. Francis of 



• St. Francis of Paiila^ founder of the Order of Minims, 
although gifted with prophecy, always took counsel, even 
in the least things, with those who made it a glory to obey 
him. 

The Blessed Alexander Souli, Bishop of Corsica, who was 
very learned in theology, who was the director of St. 
Charles Borromeo, and who was called the model of bishops, 
never decided affairs of his diocese without consulting en- 
lightened persons. He remembered the words of the Holy 
Ghost, Who says: ^^Do nothing without counsel.^^ 

Prayer, 
My God, for love of Thee I renounce my own judgment. 
I will no longer be attached to my own opinions. I will 
undertake nothing important without taking counsel of 
others. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

The least attachment to our own opinions, to hold them in great 
esteem, is infinitely contrary to perfection. It is the last thing one 
abandons; hence the reason why so few are perfect. — St. Francis of 

Sales. 

This saint wrote to one of his friends that he was not so 
attached to his opinion as to wish harm to those who did 
not follow it, nor did he pretend that his sentiments should 
serve as a rule for any one. 

The learned Suarez often charged his disciples to exam- 
ine his works, and said that he would not hesitate to change 
what they disapproved of. St. Vincent Ferrer did the 
same; so afraid were these men of God that self-love might 
blind them to their faults. 



Mortification, 75 

Prayer. 

My God, my reason is so short-sighted, my light but 
darkness; self-love blinds me often. I will no more be at- 
tached to my own judgment; I will doubt my opinions. I 
will be docile to the advice which is given me. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

Do not think too highly of your own ideas. If your advice is 
asked, give it frankly, but with perfect indifference as to whether 
it be followed or rejected. Follow rather the advice of others than 
your own in all things permissible. — Bt. Francis of Sales. 

The disciples of the Abbot John, who was celebrated for 
his sanctity, seeing him at the point of death, begged him 
to leave them some lessons by which they might arrive at 
perfection. He spoke as follows: ^^I never followed my 
own opinions, but taken the advice of others; and I 
never exacted from others what I had not before practised 
myself. ^^ 

When St. Jane Prances was consulted upon any important 
affair, having prayed long, examined well everything per- 
taining to it, and taken counsel with wise persons who were 
filled with the Spirit of God, she gave her opinion and added 
these words: ^^ This is my advice; but take counsel of some 
one else who is more wise and judicious than I am,^^ 

Prayer, 

my Saviour, Who art the true light, wisdom uncreated, 
enlighten me, give me wisdom; I will no longer be gov- 
erned by my own ideas, nor act for myself. I will decide by 
the advice of wiser ones than I, who are full of Thy spirit, 
having prayed that they may be enlightened to give me 
salutary counsel. 



i 



76 March. 



Thirtieth Day. 

Since holiness consists in willing what God wills, wisdom consists 
in judging of things as God judges; and who can say that his senti 
ments are always according to God's ? How many times have you 
not been compelled to acknowledge that you have been mistaken 
in your judgments?— ^S^. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint was gifted with such great prudence that he 
was reputed to be one of the wisest men of his time. IsTever- 
theless, the lowly opinion he held of himself caused him^ 
upon all occasions, to recommend himself to God, and to 
pray fervently to be directed. If he was consulted upon 
anything, he gave his advice modestly, after having taken 
time for reflection; but if he was slow to decide, he was as 
firm to continue in any good work which he had undertaken 
with counsel, and after having prayed for guidance to know 
the will of God. 

Prayer. 
My God, I am resolved to do nothing without having 
recommended myself to Thee, nor without advice. Do not 
permit me to go astray, nor contrary to Thy will. 

Thirty- FIRST Day. 

The means of dying to our sensuality is to deny ourselves all that 
flatters our senses. The means of dying to our own judgment is 
to submit in all things to the opinions of others. The means of 
dying to our self-love and the esteem of creatures is to make con- 
tinual acts of humility. He who does not die in this manner will 
never be a true servant of God; God will never perfectly live in him. 
— St, Magdalene of Pazzi. 

St. Philip Neri made war constantly against these three 
enemies of man. He mortified his fiesh by combating 
earthly desires, and chastised it by the most rigorous instru- 
ments of penance and by fasting. He mortified his judg- 
ment, his will, by blessing God in all he suffered either 
from the hands of God or of man, and in following the 
sentiments of others rather than his own, and by practising 



Mortification. "]"] 

obedience as far as possible. He mortified his natural in- 
clinations, which sought after the esteem and praise of 
men, by reflecting on his sins, by putting himself in thought 
at the feet of all, by rejoicing when he was despised, even 
seeking occasions for humiliations. A universal mortifica- 
tion was the path by which the saints who now live in 
the glory of God won their crowns in heaven. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may die to my sensuality. I would 
chastise my criminal fiesh, and combat my disorderly de- 
sires. I will bless Thee in all the crosses with which Thou 
mayst afflict me; I will follow another^s advice, rather than 
my own, in all that is permitted; I will practise obedience 
to those who rule over me. Let me die to myself, to the 
esteem of men. I will not cease to humble myself for my 
sins, my inconstancy of heart, and my many frailties. 



APRIL. 

Fatience. 

* ^ He that doe^ not take up Ms cross and follow Me, is not 
worthy of Me.''^ — St. Matt. x. 38. 

First Day. 

The cross is the true door by which to enter the temple of 
holiness; it is not possible to find it by any other way. Therefore, 
we should immolate our hearts, for the love of Jesus Christ upon 
the same altar of the cross upon which He sacrificed Himself for 
our love. — St. Frajids of Sales. 

St. Teresa for eighteen years suffered great dryness dur- 
ing the time of prayer; it was for her a kind of martyr- 
dom. Nevertheless, she continued in her exercises of piety 
with the same exactness as during times of fervor. St. 
Bernard said of himself: "All those things that the world 
loves, — such as pleasures, honors, riches, — are for me a 
cross, and all those that the world regards as crosses are 
to me pleasures; I embrace them with affection. ^^ 

Prayer. 
my Saviour, I immolate my heart for love of Thee on 

the altar of the cross. I am disposed to receive all the 
crosses Thou sendest; grant that I may use them for my 
salvation. How advantageous for me to be crucified with 
Thee ! 

Second Day. 

If you have nothing to suffer for God, be assured that you have 
not commenced to be one of His servants. The Apostle plainly tells 
us that those who would live piously in Jesus Christ must suffer 
persecution. — St. Augustin. 

St. Francis Xavier, while at Lisbon, was afflicted to see 
that everything prospered witli him. He was afraid that 

78 



Patience. 79 

God was not pleased with him when He favored him with 
no cross. And when sufferings were sent to him^ he would 
exclaim: " Still more, my God, still moreT 

Prayer. 
Lord, look with compassion upon Thy servant for whom 
Jesus Christ has suffered and died upon the cross. Grant 
that I may carry with patience, gratitude, and love all my 
crosses; Thou sendest them but to purify me and give me 
an occasion of merit. 

Third Day. 

The Son of God has accomplished our salvation by the means of 
sufferings ; He would by this teach us that there is no means more 
proper to glorify God and to sanctify our souls than to suffer. Yes, 
yes, to suffer for the love of Christ, — this is the true road. — St. Teresa. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi, being shamefully treated in her 
last sickness, gave special marks of friendship to the person 
from whom she received the injury; she rejoiced to have 
this beautiful occasion, before her death, to suffer. She 
sometimes said: ''1 do not wish to die soon, because in 
heaven one cannot suffer; I desire to live long, so that I 
may suffer long for love of my Spouse.^^ 

Prayer, 
How is it possible that I have such repugnance for suffer- 
ings, knowing that Jesus Christ has suffered for me, and to 
suffer for Him is an advantage the just of the earth have, 
but the saints of heaven do not possess? My God, give me 
a love for suffering. 

Fourth Day. 

The road to heaven is narrow. He who would walk therein with 
ease must divest himself of all things and lean upon the cross for 
support;— that is, he must be resolved to suffer all things for the love 
of (j(0±—8t, John of the Cross. 

Venerable Tauler tells of a great servant of God who, fear- 
ing that the great consolations he received on earth would 
be an obstacle to the obtaining of the delights of heaven. 



8o April 

begged of Our Lord to deliver him from them. His prayer 
was heard, and during five years he was left without the least 
spiritual consolation. Having then tasted of the sweets with 
which Our Saviour inundated his soul, he said : ^^I desire 
no consolations in this world; I would that only Thou, my 
Love, wouldst enter my heart. It suffices for me on earth 
that Thy holy will be accomplished in me/' 

Prayer, 
My God, I acknowledge the necessity there is for me to 
sufi'er by mortification when I have no tribulations to suf- 
fer. I firmly believe the road to heaven is narrow. Grant 
that I may desire to live and die upon the cross for Thy 
love. 

Fifth Day. 

Our Lord is accustomed to recompense by some tribulation the 
services of those who love Him. Tribulations are of an inestimable 
price to those who love Thee, O my God ! What would one not 
give to know their value ! — Bi. Teresa. 

When the Venerable Palafox had done some good work, 
and saw that he was calumniated or received some other 
cross, he said: *^ I do not receive in this world the reward 
of that which I do for God; it is a sign that He will fully 
recompense me in heaven/^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may be so convinced that crosses 
are favors that when I suffer nothing I may be afflicted 
that my Saviour regards me as uuAVorthy to suffer some- 
thing for Him; and when I have a cross to bear, it will be 
with joy to be treated as one of His friends. 

Sixth Day. 

O souls ! you who sigh after tranquillity and consolations, if you 
knew how agreeable it is to God, and how advantageous for you, to 
suffer, you would never seek consolation in anything whatsoever, 
but would regard it as your greatest happiness to carry the cross 
and follow Jesus Christ. — 8L John of the Cross, 

Jesus Christ made known to St. Teresa that the souls 
dearest to His Father are those who suffer most, who suffer 



Patience, 8 1 

with most love. From that moment sufferings were her 
delight. She declared she would not exchange her suffer- 
ings for all the treasures of the world. Her motto was, 
^^ Suffer or die.^' 

Prayer. 
Yes, my Saviour, it is a great happiness to carry the cross 
after Thee. All the treasures of earth are not worth one 
cross. Grant that when I suffer it be with love of Thee, that 
it be my delight. 

Seventh Day. 

One Blessed he God in the time of adversity is worth more than 
a thousand / thank you in the time of prosperity. — St. John of Avila. 

It was asked of the Blessed Angela of Foligno how she 
could suffer with such joy. She replied: ^^ Believe me, we 
do not know the price of sufferings; if we knew their 
value, sufferings would be for us an object of strife, each 
trying to rob the other of occasions to suffer. ^^ 

Prayer. 
I acknowledge, my God, nothing is more precious than 
the cross. Nothing is more beneficial than to suffer with 
resignation, with love, in union with Jesus Christ. I love 
the cross; — why should I not love it? Grant me the desire 
to suffer, and to suffer with joy. 

Eighth Day. 

One ounce of a cross is worth more than a million pounds of pray- 
ers. To be crucified during one day is of more value than perform- 
ing pious exercises for a hundred years. It is more meritorious to 
be for one moment on the cross than to taste the delights of para- 
dise. — Venerable Sister Victoria Angelini. 

St. Francis, during a severe illness, endured the most 
terrible sufferings. He was entreated by one of his religious 
to beg Our Lord to lighten his afflictions. The saint re- 
proved him, and said: ''Lord, I return thanks for that 
which I suffer. I beg of Thee to increase rather than di- 
minish my pain/^ 



82 April. 

Prayer. 
I promise Thee, my God, to pray often, during suffering, 
in these words: ^' My God, I tliauk Thee for sending me 
this. I suffer only for my good, for my salvation. Thou 
hast placed me on the road to heaven : grant that my grati- 
tude may be in proportion to my sufferings. Spare me 
not in time, that I may meet with mercy in eternity. 

Ninth Day. 

If Our Lord gave you the power to raise the dead, He would give 
you much less than when He sends you sufferings. You would be 
indebted to Him for the gift of miracles; but in sending you suffer- 
ings He is your debtor, if you bear them with patience. Were there 
no other recompense than to suffer for a God Who loves you, would 
it not be sufficiently great ? He who loves understands. — St. John of 
the Cross. 

This saint said that if Our Lord gave him the choice to be 
placed in heaven among the angels or in prison with Paul, 
he would prefer the prison to heaven. 

St. Louis, conversing with the king of England on the 
war in Turkey, where he had suffered much, remarked : '^ I 
thank God with all my heart for the ill-success of this war. 
I rejoice more to have practised patience with the help of 
God at that time than if I had become the master of the 
worid/^ 

Prayer. 

Yes, it is a happiness to suffer for a God Who loves u?. 
It is better to suffer with Him than to rejoice with Him. 
John felt more love for Jesus on Calvary than on Thabor. 
Grant, O Lord, that these reflections be ever present to 
my mind ; and make me love the cross, make me carry my 
cross with joy and love. 

Tenth Day. 

One should regard it as a disgrace to suffer nothing for Grod ; yes, 
hold it as certain that he who has nothing to suffer, and whom all 
the world admires, is not far from a fall. — St Vincent de Paul. 

This saint, wishing to give some salutary advice to the 
missionaries of his congregation upon the occasion of a 



Patience. 83 

calamity which had befallen them, said: " Considering that 
everything has succeeded with ns for some time past, I had 
commenced to fear what would follow this calm, as it is the 
way of God to try His servants; but blessed be the Divine 
Goodness that has deigned to visit us with this great loss!'' 

A holy old man who had passed a year without being 
sick was much afflicted. " God has without doubt abandoned 
me, since He visits me no more/' said he. 

St. Francis and St. Andrew thought that the Lord was 
not pleased with them the day upon which He did not send 
them something to suffer for His love. 

Prayer. 
Lord, am I not in disgrace, since I have nothing to suffer 
for Thee ? Look upon the disposition of my heart. I will 
prepare for the storm while it is yet calm, so that when 
Thou visitest me, when Thou triest me, I may embrace my 
cross and bless Thee while I bear it. 

Eleventh Day. 

We never have more reason to console ourselves than when we are 
laboring under afflictions and grievances, since it is this which makes 
us resemble Our Saviour Jesus Christ. This resemblance is the true 
sign of our predestination. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Andrew the apostle was well convinced of this 
truth. The moment he beheld the cross to which he was 
to be attached he cried out with joy: '' cross so ardently 
desired, so tenderly loved, and sought after so passionately, 
I go to you full of joy ! Separate me from men, and return 
me to my Master, that I may be received by Jesus Christ 
through the same means by which He redeemed me.^^ 

Prayer. 
my God, how far am I from loving, desiring, and 
seeking the cross! Am I not well assured that the cross is 
Thy livery ? that to resemble Thee, and to be glorified, one 
must carry the cross ? With what cross wilt Thou charge 
mo ? Behold me, but assist me. I am weak, I am cold and 
leeble, 



84 April. 

Twelfth Day. 

There is no sign more certain that one is of the number of the 
elect than, while leading a Christian life, to be the subject of suli'er- 
ings, desolations, and trials. — Si. Louis Gonzaga, 

A certain merchant begged St. Teresa to recommend 
him to Gf-od. She did so; and having occasion to speak to 
him some time afterwards, she said: "I have prayed for 
yon, and it has been revealed to me that your name is writ- 
ten in the book of life. As a proof of tins I give you notice 
that, from this time henceforth, nothing will prosper with 
you in this world.^^ And this was verified. But a short 
time intervened, when all the vessels he had upon the sea 
perished. His friends assisted him, and came to his rescue 
with another vessel to try his fortune again: this likewise 
was lost. Finding himself in poverty, he became content 
to possess but God. He finished his life in sanctity. 

Prayer, 
Labors, sufferings, desolations, opprobrium, this is my 
lot. I accept, my God, this chalice of bitterness because 
I have sinned, and would be crowned in heaven. my 
Saviour, grant that I may suffer with Thee, like Thee, and 
for Thee. 

Thirteenth Day. 

If the Lord sends you great tribulations, it is a sign that He has 
great designs upon you, and that He wills that you become a saint. 
Would you become a great saint, pray that He send you sufferings. 
There is no wood more proper to enkindle and feed the fire of divine 
love than the wood of the cross. — St. Ignatius Loyola. 

St. Teresa, whom God created to perform such great 
things on earth, and to be elevated to so high a degree 
of glory in heaven, had much to suffer from many, even 
virtuous, persons. They regarded her revelations as illu- 
sions of the devil ; some would even have her exorcised 
as if she were possessed. They went so far as to accuse 
her at the tribunal of the Inquisition. Still more, how 
her patience must have been tried by contradictions on 



Patience. 85 

the part of her Superiors when she was laboring to re- 
form the houses of her Order and to found new ones ! 

Prayer. 
My God, I have not the courage to say, Give me more to 
suffer, because I fear sufferings ; but I will often say, Give 
me the cross Thou knowest is best for me; and when I suffer, 
I will unite myself to my Saviour and beg the assistance of 
His grace to bear it. 

Fourteenth Day. 

It is particularly in the time of contradictions, sufferings, and 
contempt that those in the Church of God show whether they are 
of the chaff or the wheat. Under these circumstances, those who are 
patient and courageous are the wheat, the others the chaff ; and the 
lighter the chaff is the higher it will rise, manifesting their vanity 
and pride to greater advantage.— /S^. Augustin. 

A gentleman of distinction asked St. Francis of Sales to 
give a parish which was vacant to a priest of his choosing. 
St. Francis replied that it was not in his power to grant the 
request. The gentleman, doubting the saint^s word, was 
very indignant, accusing him of hypocrisy and duplicity. 
He even used threats, and poured upon him every abuse. 
St. Francis, seeing that he could do nothing to appease his 
wrath, listened tranquilly without interrupting him. He 
said afterwards^ when he was asked why he had listened so 
quietly: ^^It was not he who spoke, but his passion. My 
silence will be the cause of his returning some day, and we 
shall be better friends than ever. While he spoke with so 
much passion, I occupied myself in thinking of his good 
qualities, which make him very dear to me.^^ Before long 
the gentleman hastened back, threw himself at the feet of 
the saint, begged his forgiveness, and their friendship be- 
came closer than before. 

Prayer. 
My God, come to my help in the time of contradictions 
contempt, and humiliations! Grant that I may accept them, 
that I may enter into the sentiments of Our Saviour, and 



86 ApriL 



that they may be salutary for me and for the edification of 
my neighbor. 

Fifteenth Day. 

A true spirit of Christianity gives more a desire for afflictions 
and spiritual dryness than for those feelings of a sweeter kind. In 
this we follow Jesus Christ and renounce ourselves, which He has so 
much inculcated. — St. John of the Cross. 

Our Lord gave to St. Catharine of Siena the choice of two 
crowns^ one of gold, the other of thorns. Without hesi- 
tating, she chose that of thorns. From that moment 
her love for suffering was so great that she said: ^^ Noth- 
ing is so agreeable to me as the cross. If God gave 
me the choice to go to paradise or to remain longer here to 
suffer, I would choose to remain on earth. I know it is by 
the means of suffering we merit the glory of heaven.-'^ 

Prayer. 

My God, it is only by humiliation, prayer, and patience 
that I can arrive in heaven. Grant me these graces: to pray 
always, to be humble^ to mortify myself, and to suffer with 
joy. 

Sixteenth Day. 

Those who have arrived at perfection never ask of God to be de- 
livered from afflictions or temptations ; they long for them and es- 
teem them as much as worldlings appreciate gold or precious stones. 
They know that the time of affliction and temptation is the time to 
enrich one's self in grace. — St. Teresa. 

When St. Francis Xavier received a cross he always 
made this prayer: ^Oly God, do not take from me this cross 
unless it be to give me a greater.'^ The Venerable Anne- 
Marie of St. Joseph, a Carmelite, was asked to moderate 
her great austerities. ^' Xo/^ she replied, " I will never 
cease to carry my cross, since Jesus Christ was loaded with 
sorrow and opprobrium. I desire only a cross, to be cruci- 
fied thereon with Jesus Christ."^ 

Prcnje?\ 

My God, I will not fly from the cross ; I will desire it, 
T will embrace it, I will carry it; I will beg nothing but to 



Patience. 87 

be charged with it. What is more precious than the cross? 
What is there that makes us more like unto Jesus Christ? 
It is the great means to enrich one^s self for heaven. my 
Saviour, grant that I may passionately desire the cross. 

Seventeenth Day. 

Embrace often, and with your whole heart, the crosses which Our 
Lord sends you, whatever they may be. The lowest are most worthy 
the name of cross, being least in conformity with our natural incli- 
nations, which seek ever that which is high and noticeable. The 
merit of the cross does not consist in its weight, but in the manner 
in which we carry it. — 8t. Francis of Sales, 

During the visits of this saint through his diocese, when 
he had much to endure, he was never heard to complain of 
the cold, the wind, the sun, his lodgings, or his food. He 
received all in peace from the hand of God, and was hap- 
pier in proportion as he had much to suffer. When it was 
in his power, he always took for himself that which was 
worst. 

A holy religious at the moment of death said to his 
brethren: ^^I am now like one who has made a great pur- 
chase, who with a few pieces of money has bought much 
in return. I am about to be put in possession of heaven 
for a little suffering here.^^ 

Prayer. 
Jesus crucified, I understand how necessary it is for 
me to have crosses. I beseech Thee to give me those which 
are best for me. I accept from Thy fatherly hand all that 
Thou sendest, even the most humiliating. Teach me to 
cairy them with courage and with love. 

Eighteenth Day. 

If we knew the precious treasure which is hidden in our infirmi- 
ties, we would receive them with the same joy that we receive the 
greatest benefits, and we would bear them without complaining. — St. 
Vincent de Paul. 

This saint suffe^-ed from many infirmities, which gave 
him no repose night or day. He bore them with admir- 



88 April 

able patience. His face was always serene, his counte- 
nance affable, as if he enjoyed perfect health. From his 
lips was never heard a complaint. He never ceased to 
thank God for his infirmities, looking upon them as favors. 
When his sufferings were extreme, his only strength was to 
look upon his crucifix and to utter aspirations of patience. 
" I suffer little in comparison with what my sins deserve, 
and what Jesus Christ has suffered for our love/^ he 
would say. A brother-missionary one day said : '' The pains 
which you endure must be almost insupportable.^^ The 
saint replied: ^^How can you call that insupportable which 
is the work of God? May God forgive you for what you 
have said. It is not thus one should speak in the school of 
Jesus Christ. Is it not just that the guilty suffer and be 
chastised ? Has not the Lord a right to do with us as He 
wills r 

Prayer, 
my God, can I complain, can I suffer with impatience, 
seeing what my Saviour suffered in the Garden of Olives 
and on Calvary, and thinking of what I should suffer in 
hell if Thou hadst not treated me according to Thy great 
mercy ? 

Nineteenth Day. 

"What is better than to be on the cross with Jesus Christ or to 
cling to the foot of the cross meditating on the sufferings of Our 
Saviour? To offer to God our infirmities in remembrance of Him 
Who suffered for us, and to conform ourselves to His will, — this is 
an excellent manner^of praying. — St. Francis of Sales. 

When St. Vincent de Paul was very sick he practised a 
most excellent method of prayer. It is as advantageous 
as it is easy, and procures much sweetness for those who 
love God. It consists in keeping one^s self in the presence 
of God without making any reflections, contenting one^s self 
with making frequent acts of resignation to the will of Gc i, 
of confidence, love, and thanksgiving. 



Patience. 89 

Prayer. 
my God, happy are they who suffer with patience 
and with love in union with Jesus Christ suffering, and 
are disposed to suffer still more and to die. Grant that I 
may suffer in this manner. 

Twentieth Day. 

Be assured that we shall obtain more grace and merit in one day 
by suffering patiently the afflictions which come to us from God or 
from our neighbor than we could acquire in ten years by mor- 
tifications and other exercises which are of our own choice. — St, 
Francis of Sales. ;> 

A great servant of God who suffered much made use of 
the following prayer : " Lord, if Thou augment my pains, 
augment my patience." '^ Courage/^ he would say; " with 
a little patience the good thief paid all his debts and 
gained heaven.''^ 

Prayer. 
Lord, I will not cease to fortify myself and to bless Thee 
for my afflictions, to pay the debt which I have contracted 
against Thy justice for my sins, and to gain heaven, of 
which I have made myself unworthy. 

Twenty- FIRST Day. 

He has not true patience who will suffer only as much as he 
pleases and from whom he pleases. The man who is truly patient 
considers not the length of his sufferings, their quality, nor the per- 
son from whom he receives them. — Thomas a Kempis. 

A pious lady, desirous of laboring more earnestly for her 
sanctification, begged of St. John Chrysostom to instruct 
her in what she must do. The saint advised her, among 
other things, to take into her house an aged or infirm 
person, to take great care of her for the love of God, 
bearing patiently anything she might have to suffer in 
exercising this charity. Slie took a poor widow, and cared 
for her. This poor woman had a heart full of gratitude, and 
never ceased thanking the lady for her kindness, thereby 



90 Ap^HL 

distressing her, as she had then nothing to suffer in per- 
forming her work of charity. She therefore complained of 
this to the saint. He said : " I will send you another, in 
whom you will find occasions to exercise your patience.'^ It 
was an old woman who was most ungrateful, who thought 
that all that was done for her was nothing, who com- 
plained unceasingly, who even repaid the kindness shown 
her with injuries and abuse. The lady bore these indig- 
nities with heroic patience, and thanked St. John, saying : 
'' You have given me exactly what I needed.^^ 

Prayer. 
My God, I consent to suffer as long as Thou wilt, all that 
Thou wilt, and from whom Thou wilt. Give me these dis- 
positions; deign to strengthen and keep them in my heart. 

Twenty-second Day. 

Our Lord sends lis tribulations and aflBlictions to give us a means 
of paying the immense debt we have contracted against Him. Ac- 
cordingly, those who are sensible will receive them with joy, and 
think more of the good they may derive from thefn than of the pain 
they may feel. — 8t. Vincent Ferrer. 

This saint, to make his hearers understand better this 
truth which he had preached to them, related the follow- 
ing parable: ^^ A king held in prison two of his subjects 
who owed him a sum of money. Seeing them incapable of 
paying it, as they possessed nothing, he went into the prison 
and threw a purse of gold at the head of each. The blow 
was painful, and it was received in quite a different manner 
by the two. One was enraged at being so struck, showed 
much ill-feeling, and took no notice of the purse; the 
other, more reasonable, took the purse which had been 
thrown at him, and thanking the kiiig, used the money to 
pay his debt, thus delivering himself from prison. Our 
case is that of these prisoners,^^ said the saint; '^ we have 
contracted immense debts against God, through the benefits 
He has bestowed upon us and the sins of which we have be- 
come guilty. Touched with compassion for our state. He 
sends the gold of patience in the purse of tribulation. 



Patience. oi 

Those who bear these tribulations with patience with this 
gold satisfy God and become His friends, while those who, 
far from thanking Him, murmur and are impatient, in- 
crease their debt and make themselves still greater enemies 
of God." 

Prayer, 

my God, what debts have I not contracted against 

Thy justice ! I can cancel them by suffering for love of 

Thee. When Thou sendest me no cross, let me impose one 

upon myself by practising some mortification. 

Twenty-third Day. 

Be very patient when it happens that you are contradicted or 
crossed in conversation. These contradictions serve as occasions to 
practise those dear and amiable virtues which Our Saviour recom 
mends.— ;S«. Francis of Sales. 

A servant of God, who loved contradiction, said: "It is 
of great advantage to be contradicted; it often shows we 
are wrong; it takes away perhaps an occasion of having 
sentiments of self-love, and gives us an opportunity of 
merit, by loving supernaturally those who do not think as 
we do." 

St. Francis of Sales said to a person who had shown him 
much animosity: "Although you do not love me, still I 
will love you; and should you deprive me of one eye, I will 
look upon you with kindness with the other." 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that all that is said to me which mortifies 
me may tend to my sanctification and enable me to prac- 
tise humility and charity. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

_ If there should be any community in which was found no reli<r. 
lous of a disagreeable character, whom it was hard to bear wid, \l 
would be of much value to seek for one elsewhere, and pay for hun 
wi h h.s weight in gold, beca.ise of the great advantage he would be 
to those who knew how to support his faults and to make good use 
of the crosses he would provide them viUh.—St Bernard. 

When St. Philip Neri lived i„ Rome, in the house of Saint- 
Jerome-of-Charity, he was disliked by the sacristans, who 



92 ^Z^^'^- 

took every* pportunity to annoy him, and let no daygo by 
vTthJ^t showing him some marks of contempt hopmg he 
ould by this tLtment be obliged to go to anotherchnrch 
to exercise his ministry. The saint never complained to 
he Superiors of the honse. Far from showing any resent- 
ment he treated his tormentors with respect and did them 
rery se vice in his power. "I will not fly from the cross 
wWch God sends," said he to his friends who invited h.m 
To leave he placl However, seeing that he coald not win 
hem by charity and humility, that instead of becoming 
Snlr Ihey became more intractable, he addressed him- 
' to Jes s Christ. Fixing his eyes on the Cross, he said: 
" My good Jesus, why dost Thon not hear me ? For a long 
time I have with much ardor begged for patience^ Why dost 
Thou not listen to my prayer?" H^ ^med ^^^^^^J ^f;; 
him the voice of Jesus saying : « Thou askest Me for pa- 
TJe I will give it to thee, but I desire that tl^onj.cc,u^ve 
Un this plac!." From that time, the ^^ouse which had 
been for hfm a place of suflerings became a pl^ce of de- 
light. He remaLd there for thirty years, and quitted it 
only at the request of the Pope, to take up ^is abode ma 
house of the Oratorians, of which Order he was the founder. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant me the grace to support patiently, for 
love of Thee! the faults of those with whom I live. Gran 
that the more they make me suffer the more I may love 
them. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

There is no purgatory in this life; it ^^^^^^^^-^J-ftll^:'^; 
Those who suffer with patience have a paradise, those who ao 
sn&ev fiMnd of heW.-St. Philip Nen. 

A wicked man, condemned to death for his crimes, asked 
a short time before his death, to see a ^^^'S^^ f J^^^ 
tain Order. The religious was sent to him. The prisoner 
sa d "Fa her, I have lived among you, I have worn the 
h"bi"t whiSi y^u wear. Admitted to the Order, I was for 



Patience. 93 

some time a good religions. While I observed the Rule 
faithfully, I was content; nothing was hard; the most dif- 
ficult things I performed with joy. Ah, how desirable was 
my state ! Unfortunately, little by little I relaxed in my 
fervor; then a distaste for the exercises of the community 
grew upon me. Unfaithful to my obligations, the yoke of 
my vocation became insupportable. I fled from the house, 
and abandoned my religious habit. Alas! my state be- 
came worse and worse; I gave myself up to all kinds of ex- 
cesses. You see to what my sins have brought me. I have 
called you, Father, that you may tell your religious what 
you have heard. God grant that my example may be use- 
ful to them r 

Might we not say that St. Francis of Sales tasted the de- 
lights of paradise during a sickness which he underwent? 
He spoke of himself as if he suffered nothing, never giving 
any signs of impatience or uneasiness, taking the most dis- 
agreeable remedies as if they were most delicious. A seren- 
ity unalterable was observed upon his countenance, which 
was sufficient to attract one to the love of virtue. 

Prayer, 
My God, teach me to possess my soul in peace, to bless 
Thee always and for all, to rejoice even in tribulations, and 
to do in all things Thy will. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

My sisters, learn to suffer something for Jesus Christ without let- 
ting others perceive it. — 8t. Teresa. 

Father Dupont, meditating one Good Friday on the 
sufferings of Jesus Christ, asked of Our Lord as a great 
grace to make him a participator in His sufferings. His 
prayer was heard, and during the rest of his life he suf- 
fei'ed frightful agonies. One day a religious of his Order 
asked him how he felt. He replied: ^^Oh! God chas- 
tises well this sinner. With the exception of the head, 
there is not a member of my body but has its particular 



94 April, 

pain.'-' Immediately repenting for having spoken in this 
manner^ he made a vow never to speak of what he suffered^ 
when it was possible to hide it without offending God. 

St. Philip Xeri^ who was often afflicted with many in- 
firmities^ always appeared content. He never spoke of his 
pains except to his physician. He was never known to show 
signs of suffering. 

Prayer, 
my Saviour, give me a love for suffering. Grant that 
when I suffer I suffer for Thy love^ and, to show my love 
for Thee^ suffer in silence. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

Those who aspire to perfection must be careful never to say, "I 
was right; I have not deserved to be treated in such a manner." If 
you will carry only a cross that is supported by reason, you will 
never become perfect. — 8t. Teresa. 

A servant of God was once much afflicted on account of 
calumnies reported of him, in consequence of which he was 
persecuted by some, despised by others. Full of bitterness 
of soul, he addressed himself to God: •*' my Saviour,'^ he 
said, ^^how long wilt Thou permit that I be treated thus? 
Thou knowest that I am not guilty of that with which they 
accuse me." He thought he saw Jesus Christ covered with 
wounds^ and to hear these words: ^' And I, for what fault 
have I been treated thus?'^ At this sight, upon hearing 
these words, he regarded it as a happiness to be calum- 
niated, persecuted, despised; he would not, he said, ex- 
change his condition with that of the greatest king on 
earth. 

Prayer, 
my Saviour, Who wast treated so shamefully without 
having committed any fault, grant that I may consider it a 
happiness to suffer for Thee. Ought the disc ph' of a Man- 
God not rejoice to be treated like his divine Master ? 



Patience. 95 



Twenty-eighth Day. 

If we regarded tribulations with the eye of the Christian, how hap- 
py would we be to be calumniated, to be looked upon as vile ! Is 
it not an advantage to be persecuted for doing good, since Jesus 
Christ calls blessed those who suffer for justice ? — St. Vincent de 
Paul. 

St. Teresa never ceased to bless and praise God when- 
ever she found an occasion to exercise patience. Keturn 
ing one day from the parlor, seemingly full of joy and 
"with a sweet serenity of countenance because she had re- 
ceived reproaches and abuse, one of her religious who had 
overheard what was said to her asked how she could feel so 
contented. ^^Thank God/^ she replied, ^^ they have said 
that of me which has given me much pleasure. Thank God.^^ 
It was thus that she always conducted herself upon such 
occasions. When she seemed more than usually happy, 
her religious always said among themselves: ^^Our mother 
has been receiving something good.^^ 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, I believe, because Thou hast said it, that 
those who suffer for justice^ sake are blessed. Whenever I 
suffer for a good cause I will thank Thee for giving me an 
occasion of enriching myself for heaven. 

Twenty-ninth Day, 

If you look upon the ground at the rod which Moses used before 
Pharao, it appears a frightful serpent ; but if you regard it in the 
hand of Moses, it is a wand with which he performed the greatest 
prodigies. So it is with tribulations. Considered in themselves, they 
are horrible; but when one views them in the hand of God, they be- 
come sweet and delicious. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi was accustomed to say: "I think 
there is no torment in the world so frightful, no adversity 
so hard, that I would not suffer voluntarily and with joy 
for the single thought alone that it is the will of God.^' In 
the time of most acute suffering it sufficed for her to r^- 



g6 ApriL 

peat the words, ^^It is the will of God/^when instantly she 
was filled with joy. 

Prayer. 

my God, I will receive all tribulations from Thy 
fatherly hand with joy. I will think that Thou chastisest me 
for my good as a tender father. I will bless Thy name be- 
cause Thou strikest me here to spare me in eternity. 

Thirtieth Day. 

When it happens that we have sorrows to endure, or something to 
suffer from the hand of others, let us recall what Our Saviour has 
suffered; then all will become easy, even sweet ; all that before 
seemed hard will appear to be flowers, not thorns. — St, Francis of 
Sales. 

St. Ludowine was overwhelmed with great afflictions for 
thirty-eight years, yet she was never seen to be unhappy or 
ill-humored; she was always content, because she never lost 
sight of the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In order to think 
always of this she scarcely ever turned away her eyes from 
the image of Our Saviour nailed to the cross. 

Prayer, 
my Saviour, TVho wast crucified for my love, I will fix 
my eyes upon Thee when I suCer;, and say: ^^ Behold thy 
God upon the cross I Complain if you dare V^ I will refuse 
no cross; I ask no other recompense for all the crosses than 
the happiness of pleasing Thee. 



MAY. 

Learn of Me that I am meek and humble of heart. — St. Matt. 
xi. 29. 

First Day. 

Meekness is a rarer virtue than charity ; it is more excellent than 
this or any other virtue, being the fulness of charity, which is in 
its perfection when it is meek and beneficent. We must then have 
a great esteem for meekness and labor to acquire it. — St. Francis of 
Sales, 

This saint spoke frequently of meekness^ and it was 
plainly evident that this was his most cherished virtue. It 
shone in his face, his words, his gestures, and his actions. 
The eulogy which the Holy Ghost gave to Moses might be 
applied to him — that he was the meekest man of his time. 
St. Jane Frances said of him that no one ever saw a 
heart so sweet, so good, so affable, so gracious as his. The 
first time that St. Vincent de Paul saw St. Francis of Sales 
he thought, from the serenity of his face and his manner 
of conversation, he saw in him an image of the sweetness of 
Our Saviour Jesus Christ. His presence alone won hearts. 

Frayer, 

My God, grant that sweetness may mark my exterior, 
my words and works. Grant that by meekness I may be- 
come a copy of Jesus, my Master and model. 

Second Day. 

Meekness is a virtue which supposes a noble soul; that is, those 
who possess this virtue are superior to all one may say of them or 
do to them. Though they may receive indignities from others in 
word or action, they preserve their tranquillity and lose not their 
peace of soul. — St. Thomas Aquinas. 

No one ever saw St. Vincent Ferrer angry, or even 
troubled, no matter what injurious things were said of him 
or what ill-treatment he might receive, 



h 



97 



98 May. 

St. Francis of Sales was at one time vilely calumniated. 
When he learned that he was accused of an abominable crime, 
he did not appear to be disturbed, but resolved to wait for 
Providence to justify him, which did not happen until some 
years afterwards. He spoke with the greatest kindness of 
his calumniators, and his only vengeance was to labor for 
their sanctification. 

Prayer, 

My God, I beseech Thee, grant that whatever may be 
s lid or done to me may not cause me to lose my peace 
of soul. Grant that I may regard as benefactors those 
who treat me as an enemy. 

Third Day. 

There is nothing which tends more to edify our neighbor than a 
goodness full of charity. — St. Francis of Sales. 

Many persons visited St. Francis Xavier solely for the 
purpose of witnessing his admirable sweetness. 

St. Ignatius Loyola, passing one day with some of his 
companions near a field where some men were at work, 
was ridiculed by them, and called names. The saint 
stopped a moment, looked at them with a smiling face, 
then turned and gave them his blessing ; which so discon- 
certed them that, struck with admiration, they exclaimed : 
" It is a saint ! it must be a saint !^^ 

Prayer, 
My God, make me kind and benevolent to all, especially 
to those who would do me injury. Deign to bless them. I 
beg of Thee to pardon them and grant them Thy grace. 

Fourth Day. 

It is necessary to be sweet with all, and to treat every one with 
a manner full of tenderness and Christian charity. Affability, love, 
and humility are the virtues which admirably serve to gain the 
hearts of men, and to animate them to perform what is hard and re- 
pugnant to nature. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. JFr^ncis of Sales, by his great sweetness, obtained 



Meekness. 99 

everything he asked for. No one could resist him, because 
he won all hearts, treating every one with respect and kind- 
ness, showing to all a great zeal for their salvation. He 
was called tlie breaker of wills, because his sweetness 
was so persuasive that he prevailed upon those to whom 
he spoke to renounce their own will. 

A person had without any cause treated the Abbot Ser- 
vius with great indignity. He replied with much meekness, 
so confusing the man that he threw himself on his knees 
and begged pardon for his fault, and finally asked the ab- 
bot^s permission to enter his monastery, which was granted 
him. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may always speak with meekness, 
and that this rneekness come from charity; that the fruit of 
this amiable virtue gain souls which will burn with Thy 
divine love. 

Fifth Day. 

One word suflSces sometimes to appease a person inflamed with 
anger, while, on the contrary, it often happens that a word will throw 
a soul into desolation, and be the cause of many sins. — St. Vincent 
de Paul. 

It was sufficient sometimes for St. Erancis of Sales to say 
but two or three words to bring calm to the heart of the 
most afflicted. 

St. Macarius, going one day to Neustria, accompanied by 
one of his disciples, saw a man meet a pagan, who was 
carrying a heavy load on his back, and insult him. The 
pagan, laying down his load, ran after the man who had 
offended him, and taking a stick, struck him so severely on 
the head that he left him dead on the spot. Having thus 
revenged himself, he took up his load and continued his 
way, running to save himself. St. Macarius, meeting him, 
said: "May God guard and save you!^^ The man, before 
so furious, stopped. The saint continued speaking to him 
with so much kindness that the pagan was touched, and 



lOO May. 

said : ^^ T know you are a true servant of God. I will not 
leave you until I have done penance for my sins/^ 

Prayer, 
Jesus^ Who hast recommended meekness and humil- 
ity of hearty and Who hast given us such beautiful examples 
of these virtues^ give us this meekness and this humility 
which Thou requirest of us. Grant me sweetness in all my 
words, charity in actions, and true humility of heart. 

Sixth Day. 

It is not possible, as long as we are on this earth, to think exactly as 
those think with whom we live ; therefore it is necessary to have a 
large fund of sweetness to oppose sudden movements of anger, so 
that we may not lose the peace of our soul. — iSt. Francis of Sales. 

Philip II. of Spain once spent several hours of the night 
in writing a long letter to the Pope. He gave it to his secre- 
tary to fold and seal. The secretary had been sleeping, 
and, half awake, he took a bottle of ink instead of sand to 
pour over the writing. Perceiving his mistake, he was in- 
consolable. The king very quietly said: " The fault is not 
very great, there is still more paper, ^^ and sat down the rest 
of the night to write a second letter, without showing the 
least displeasure w^ith his secretary. 

St. Kemi, having foreseen that there would be a great 
scarcity of food, had a house filled with wheat in order to 
help his people. Some evil-intentioned person set fire to it. 
The holy bishop was told. He hastened to the burning 
house, but seeing that nothing could be done to save it, he 
approached the fire with a tranquil face, and as it was a cold 
day, warming himself, he said : '' Fire is good at all times.''^ 

Prayer, 
My God, grant me the grace to possess my soul in peace 
at all times; permit me never to show feelings of hatred in 
words or actions, to stifle them immediately with acts of 
love for Thee. 



Meekness. loi 



Seventh Day. 

There are some who appear sweet while everything prospers and 
goes according to their wishes, but at the least adversity, the least 
contradiction, their sweetness disappears, they are on tire. They may 
be compared to a coal hidden under ashes. Their meekness is not 
of the kind Our Saviour asks when He tells us to be like unto Him. — 
St. Bernard. 

While St. Francis of Sales was one day preaching at 
Annecy, a letter was handed to him containing many in- 
sults. Thinking it might be of importance to the people 
whom he was addressing, he interrupted his instruction 
to read it. Having read it in silence, he continued his dis- 
course without apparent emotion. When he descended 
from the pulpit, he inquired and discovered from whom 
the letter had come. Hastening to the persons who had 
sent it, he begged of them to tell him in what manner he 
had offended them. When they had told him, the saint as- 
sured them that nothing could be farther from his intention 
than to injure them, and throwing himself on his knees, 
begged their pardon. The gentlemen were so confused to 
see the saint upon his knees to them that in their turn they 
begged his pardon, and enjoyed his friendship ever after, 
never ceasing to admire a virtue so heroic and Christian. 

St. Jane Frances having been grossly insulted by a young 
gentleman, who was inconsolable because she had received 
into her community a young lady whom he wished to marry, 
this worthy daughter of St. Francis of Sales said to her 
companions: "I never heard a panegyric which pleased 
me more.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, give me meekness which will make me like 
Thee, a meekness which will show itself in adversity, and 
by means of which I will never lose my peace of soul when 
I am contradicted and calumniated. 



n 



1 02 May. 



Eighth Day. 

When you are about to make any arrangements, decide upon any 
affair, or desire to persuade a person to do anything, make it a rule 
to act with as much sweetness as possible. You will succeed much 
better by a yielding, humble manner than by taking an austere or 
disputing tone. Who does not know that one will catch more flies 
with an ounce of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar? — 
St. Francis of Sales. 

It was by patience and cordiality that St. Vincent de 
Paul^ who might well be called an angel of peace, suc- 
ceeded in the numerous affairs he had in charge. He rec- 
ommended the practice of meekness and affability. '' These 
virtues open the heart/^ said he, ^* while severity closes it.^^ 
He added: ^^The Bishop of Geneva has converted more 
souls by his sweetness than by his learning/^ He repeated 
what the Cardinal of Perron was in the habit of saying: ^^I 
am certain to convince the heretics, but to convert them 
we must send them to Francis of Sales/^ 

Prayer. 
My God, I make the resolution to speak and act always 
with meekness, and rather to yield humbly than dispute. 
Grant that by sweetness and affability I may become an 
angel of peace, that I may gain hearts to Thy service. 

Ninth Day. 

If you would labor with fruit in the conversion of souls, it is 
necessary to throw the balm of sweetness over the wine of your 
zeal, that it be not too ardent, but good, pacific, suffering, and full 
of compassion. Human nature is of such a temper that it can be 
softened entirely only by sweetness. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. Francis Xavier, while preaching at Macao in the 
presence of a great number of infidels, was insulted by the 
people, who threw stones at him, thinking to silence him. 
The saint continued, seemingly unconscious of them; 
which so touched their hearts that they were more moved 
by his patience and meekness than by what he was saying, 
and m:iny became converted. 



Meekness, 103 

St. Francis of Sales^ seeing one day a great sinner con- 
fess great faults without contrition^ commenced to weep. 
" Why do you weep^ Father V^ asked the pretended peni- 
tent. " My son, I weep because you do not/^ replied the 
saint with much sweetness. This was enough to inspire the 
sinner with the sentiments of sorrow with which he should 
have been penetrated. 

A great libertine presented himself to St. Philip Neri to 
confess his sins. The s:iint received him with much kind- 
ness. Having heard his confession, he said, in a tone which 
breathed of charity: ^' My son, I do not exact much of 
you. I ask you to say seven times a day the Salve Regina, 
and to kiss as many times the earth, saying, ^ It maybe that 
I shall soon die.^^^ The man made the promise, kept it, 
and lived ever after a most Christian life, dying, fourteen 
years afterwards, in sanctity. 

Prayer. 
Grant, Lord, that I may speak to sinners with a 
sweetness which comes from charity, and which will touch 
their hearts, that they may see that I am afQicted because 
they are enemies of God and in danger of being lost. 

Tenth Day. 

Those who are entrusted with the care of others should conduct 
themselves in their regard as God and His angels do ; that is, per- 
suade, warn, pray. They should knock at their hearts like a spouse, 
and if they are refused, hear patiently the refusal. The angels assist 
as much as they can those committed to their care, and do not aban- 
don those who are obstinate. — St. Francis of Sales. 

This saint said the directors of souls should imitate 
Jacob, who regulated his footsteps with those of his chil- 
dren who were small, and even with those of his lambs. 

" Those who are to be treated with special sweetness are 
souls who are difficult togovern,^^says St. Vincent de Paul. 
He charmed them in such a degree by his sweetness that 
he won them to whatever point he wished. 

The more I advance in years, ^^ wrote St. Jane Frances to 



b 



T04 May. 

a Superior in one of her houses^ ^^ the more I am convinced 
that meekness is necessary to gain admittance into a heart, 
and also to maintain oner's place therein. If I have been 
useful in the sanctification of any soul, it has been by the 
means of a sweet and humble charity, without employing 
any other authority than that of cordiality and prayer/^ 

Prayer, 
My God, grant that I may win hearts and keep them, for 
Thy love ; grant especially that I may treat with sweetness 
hardened and obstinate sinners. 

Eleventh Day. 

As without faith it is impossible to please God, so without meek- 
ness it is impossible to please men or to govern them well. — St. Ber- 
nard, 

This saint knew this from experience. For a time after 
he was made abbot his manner and relations with his 
monks was severe and austere. Although they held him in 
high esteem on account of his virtues, he was not satisfied 
with them, nor were they perfectly satisfied with him. 
Our Saviour made known to him that he must act with 
more sweetness. He changed his manner, and soon won 
their affection; after which they obeyed him in everything 
with religious exactitude. 

Prayer. 
My God, it is not to please men but to please Thee that 
I wish constantly to practise sweetness. I will try to make 
those around me love Thy law^ that they may practise it 
for Thy love. 

Twelfth Day. 

I have learned by experience that the best mode of governing is 
that which is sweet, humble, and patient. — St. Jane Frances. 

When this saint asked her daughters in religion to do 
something, even if it was of little consequence, it was with 
such meekness that they were confused to see to what a 
degree she humbled herself. When she exacted something 



Meekness. 105 

necessary, it was with so much sweetness that she was 
obeyed with joy and promptness. 

St. Vincent de Paul wrote as follows to the Superior of 
one of the houses of his congregation who had complained 
with much rigor of a priest in his parish : ^^ It would be 
advisable to bear patiently with the priest of whom you 
speak; you have not, perhaps, his faults, but you have 
others. If you had not this to suffer, you would have no 
occasion to practise charity. Moreovei-, your conduct does 
not much resemble that of Jesus Christ, Who chose for His 
disciples the rude and lowly, who were, no doubt, subject 
to many faults. He did this to teach us to practise affability 
and patience, and to show us the manner in which those 
who have the office of Superior should conduct them- 
selves.^^ 

Prayer. 
Lord, I humbly beg the grace to treat those who are in my 
charge with humility, sweetness, and patience. Grant that 
if I have something to suffer from them, I may remember 
that I ought to rejoice to have an occasion to exercise 
charity. 

Thirteenth Day. 

There is nothing more bitter than the rind of a nut when it is 
green ; nevertheless, there is nothing sweeter or better when it is 
preserved. So it is with a reprimand, which in its very nature is 
harsh, but cooked in the fire of charity, seasoned with sweetness, it 
becomes sweet, delicious, and very useful. — St. Francis of Sales. 

When St. Francis Borgia learned that any of his com- 
panions had committed some fault, he would say to bim: " I 
beg of Our Lord to pardon you, that I may yet see you a 
saint. my brother, how could you speak in such a 
manner? How could you do such an act?'^ 

St. Vincent de Paul said tliat it happened but three times 
in his life that he spoke severely in correcting, thinking 
that it was necessary to do so; but he repented very soon, 
as he found the result was not wliat he hoped for. This 



io6 May. 

was the manner of his correcting, the means which he took 
to sweeten the reproof he made, and to make it produce 
fruit : He never reproaclied one immediately after a fault, 
unless absolutely necessary, but reflected always before God 
upon what he ought to say. He would also show great 
affection for the person whom he was obliged to correct, 
and praise him if he could find anything in him praise- 
worthy. He then would say: ^^ God has permitted that 
you should commit this fault for your humiliation, and to 
give you reason to labor with greater fervor for your sancti- 
fication.^^ 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that I may never correct but with a true 
charity, with sweetness, and after asking God to bless 
what I would say. 

Fourteenth Day. 

The only aim of a Superior should be the love of God and the sanc- 
tification of the souls confided to him. He cannot better arrive 
at this end than by humility, sweetness, and good example. —5^. 
Vincent de Paul. 

St. John the Canon, during a time when he was prior, 
was addressed disrespectfully by one of the religious. The 
saint listened with much tranquillity. One of the brethren 
asked him afterwards why he had not commanded silence, 
which he was justified in doing. He replied : ^^ When a house 
is on fire, is it well to throw on more wood ? This good 
Brother was on fire with anger. Had I replied, his fury, in- 
stead of diminishing, would have increased.^^ 

'^ When humility is wanting on one side, charity must 
abound on the other,^' wrote St. Francis of Sales to St. Jane 
Frances. At one time St. Francis of Sales was obliged 
to imprison a priest who had led a scandalous life and 
whom he had pardoned many times. The priest begged 
to see St. Francis, asked his pardon, and promised to 
amend his life. The holy bishop, moved with tenderness, 
forgave him once more, and addressed him thus: ^^I con- 



Meekness. 107 

jure you for the love of God, in Whom we all hope, to have 
pity on me, on this diocese, on the clergy of the Church, 
whom you have disgraced by your scandalous life, which 
has given occasion to our enemies to blaspheme our faith. 
I beseech you to have pity on yourself, and on your soul, 
which you will lose for all eternity. I exhort you in the 
name of Jesus Christ to reconcile yourself with God by a 
sincere penance. I beg of you by all that is most sacred on 
earth and in heaven, by the blood of Jesus Christ which 
you trample under foot, by the goodness of this divine 
Saviour Whom you again crucify, by the Spirit of grace 
AVhom you outrage/^ The culprit was so moved with these 
words and by the manner of the saint that he not only 
never fell again, but became a model of virtue. 

Prayer, 

My God, grant me the grace to practise humility and 
sweetness; grant that I may give good example to those 
confided to my care. May pure charity animate me when- 
ever I have occasion to correct. 

Fifteenth Day. 

In communities one should prefer union and peace to all else; to 
possess this we must bear with each other, treat one another with 
mutual sweetness. This virtue is the source of peace, and a tie of 
perfection which unites hearts. — 8t. Vincent de Paul. 

When this saint had some corrections to give, he spoke 
in such a general way that no one might suspect the person 
for whom he intended it. He would at times refrain from 
correcting rather than disturb peace among those whom he 
wished to see live together as having but one heart and 
one soul. 

A worthy priest who had at one time care of the young 
persons of the house where he lived never made known 
any fault of theirs to the Snperior, when he found it 
necessary to do so, without having first begged Our Lord 
at the foot of the altar to give him the grace not to exagger- 
ate, and to tell also something that was good of the person 
whose fault he was obliged to make known. 



io8 May. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant me grace to bear Avitli the faults of those 
with whom I live, to treat them always with sweetness, to 
unite hearts diyided, to inflame in hearts the fire of Thy 
divine love. 

Sixteenth Day. 

It is very important to make our conYersation sweet and useful. 
For this end we must be humble, patient, respectful, cordial, and 
condescending in all things that are lawful. It is above all neces- 
sary never to contradict the opinions of any one when not abso- 
lutely necessary. Believe me. there is nothing which renders one 
more pleasing to all than never to contradict any person. — St. Francis 
of Sales. 

St. John Berchmans never contradicted, no matter who 
the person might be. His companions all loved him, even 
begged him to admonish them, as though he had authority 
over them. 

St. Vincent de Paul was never heard to dispute even 
in things most indifferent. His affable manners, the facility 
with which he seemed to enter into the sentiments of 
others, his Christian condescension, captivated every one, 
and in a manner obliged even those who diff'ered with him 
to be of his opinion. 

Prayer, 
Grant, my Saviour, that I may never contradict any 
one without there be necessity. Grant that I may chari- 
tably condescend to all in all things possible. 

Seventeenth Day. 

Let us endeavor to be charitable, meek, and humble with all, 
but in a particular manner with those whom Gk)d has given us as 
companions aod wiih our domestics. Be not of the number of 
those who away from their homes appear to be angels, but in their 
own houses are demons. 

Monseigneur Camus, Bishop of Belley, said of the Bishop 
of Geneva, St. Francis of Sales, that there never was a 
master who treated his servants better or who was more 



Meekness, 109 

tenderly loved by them; he never said a word to them that 
could wound them. In giving his orders it was like asking a 
favor. In his manner of saluting them he showed that he 
loved them. He never complained of them, and was 
afraid to overwork them. If he was obliged to reprove 
them, it was done without anger. He was one evening en- 
tertaining a marquis. The conversation lasted long, and it 
became dark. His servants forgot to bring lights. When 
the marquis after a time arose to leave, the saint conducted 
him by the hand through the gallery, then through the 
hall to the door, where he found his servants conversing 
with those of the marquis. The only reproach he made 
them was: ^^With a candle we could have better done the 
honors to our guest.^^ 

Prayer. 

My Grod, grant that for love of Thee I may show those who 
depend on me that I love them as myself. Grant that I 
may not overwork them ; that I may never rebuke them 
haughtily nor in ill-humor; and that when I correct them, 
the correction be seasoned with sweetness. 

Eighteenth Day. 

Resist faithfully your inclinalion to impatience, and practise, in 
reason and against reason, holy affability and sweetness with all, es- 
pecially with those who give us most cause of trouble. — Bt. Francis 
of Sales. 

A certain man who had no occupation often visited the 
saint, and robbed him of many precious hours. Neverthe- 
less, he received him always with affability, never showing 
the least sign of weariness. He was asked why lie did not dis- 
miss him. He replied that he had never thought of doing 
so. " He gives me an occasion to practise charity and sweet- 
ness,^^ said he. 

A Protestant lady, under pretext of having her doubts 
cleared away, also took much of his time. In reality, what 
attracted her to him was the admirable sweetness slie found 



no May. 

in his conversation. When he perceived this^ and having 
no longer any hope that she would embrace the Catholic 
faith, he said : '^ I have answered all your difficulties, and 
since I cannot succeed in persuading you any further, I will 
now pray for you, which is all I can do/^ '' I have still one 
other question,^^ said she; "it is the celibacy of priests. 
I do not see what can be said in its favor. '^ "Madam,^^ re- 
plied he, '^ this celibacy is very necessary. Had I a wife and 
children, could I have given you as much time as I have 
done T' This answer struck home. Grace touched her 
heart, and she soon afterwards became converted. 

Prayer, 

My God, make me affable to all, sweet to all, particular- 
ly to those who make me suffer. Grant that the sweetness I 
show them for love of Thee may draw them to love Thee. 

Nineteenth Day. 

The highest degree of meekness consists in serving, honoring, and 
treating kindly those who are our inferiors and who treat us with 
ingratitude and insolence. — 8t Francis of Sales. 

What did not St. Jane Frances do during the seven years 
that she lived with her father-in-law to gain the heart of a 
servant who was insolent and who treated her with con- 
tinual contempt ! She endeavored to please her in all she 
could imagine that would be agreeable to her. On seeing 
the Baroness de Chantalthus humble herself to one who be- 
came more impertinent the more that she received kindness, 
some one remarked : " You but lose your time if you think 
to win her by such treatment.^^ The saint replied: ^^That 
might be if I thought of her alone; but what is done for 
God cannot be lost, and in proportion that men are ungrate- 
ful God is more liberal.^^ '^ When your father-in-law dies, 
you will no doubt free yourself from such a wicked creat- 
ure/^ some one remarked. "" No, I will arm myself then to 
defend her,^' she said. ^' God makes use of her to give me a 
cross; why should I do her harm T' It was also said to her 



Meekness. 1 1 1 

that she and not this servant should have the government of 
the house. " God has regulated it thus for my benefit/' she 
replied, ''so that I have more time to give to my exercises 
of piety /^ 

Prayer, 

Lord, give me such charity that I may love those in a 
special manner who injure me, despise me, and return in- 
gratitude for benefits. I would show them love, to return 
thanks for Thy love of me notwithstanding my ingratitude. 

Twentieth Day. 

Watch over yourself that you do not trouble yourself or be- 
come impatient over the faults of others. If you saw a person 
throw himself into the river, would it be wise in you to throw your- 
self in also because he has done so ? — 8t. Bonaventure. 

" Do not be astonished that I kept silence while I was 
abused,^^ said a pious cardinal. "\ felt it, but I wished to 
give reason time to become mistress over passion, lest I 
might myself fall into the same fault into which he had 
fallen. ^^ 

St. Francis of Sales was charged with having shown too 
much mildness to a young man who was incorrigible in 
his faults, incapable of listening to reason. " What would 
you have me do T^ replied the saint. " I did my best to arm 
myself Avith an anger that was no sin; but to tell the truth, 
I was afraid to squander in a quarter of an hour the spoon- 
ful of sweetness which I have labored during twenty years 
to collect in the vase of my heart. In trying to save 
this young man from shipwreck by rigor and severity, I 
might myself have been drowned with him.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, give me strength to conquer myself when I am 
moved to anger; give me such victory over my passion that 
I may have courage to be silent, or to speak with sweetness, 
as proof of my love for Thee. 



112 May. 



Twenty-first Day. 

At the sight of your imperfections be*not discouraged. You should 
be displeased with them in au humble, tranquil, and pacilic manner, 
not with a displeasure which will throw you into trouble and fret 
you. Such a displeasure does more harm than good. — St. Francis of 
Sales. 

Whenever St. Louis Gonzaga committed a faulty he did 
not become disconraged, but, entering into himself, lie said: 
"The earth has produced its fruit; I know by this what I 
am/^ Another would say at s-uch times, in the words of St. 
Ephrem : ^* AVe have not done well; let us do better/^ 

The holy bishop of Geneva would have souls compassion- 
ate and encourage themselves to do better by addressing to 
themselves these words: "Courage, my poor heart; you 
have again fallen into the pit you have so often taken the 
resolution to avoid. Let us arise; let us fly to the mercy of 
God, hoping He will help us to be more constant in future. 
Let us take once more the road we have abandoned, pray- 
ing for all necessary strength to keep therein. ^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that my faults may displease without dis- 
couraging me. Grant that I be not astonished at them; that 
they may serve for my sanctification in keeping me humble, 
in exciting me to pray more, and to watch better over my- 
self. 

Twenty-second Day. 

Be not afflicted by aridity, nor distractions, nor temptations if you 
would acquire liberty of mind. Try at such times to preserve your 
peace of heart. — St. Teresa. 

When the devil sees that one is courageous in the time 
of temptation, he almost loses hope of conquering; on the 
contrary, when he perceives that one fears, he becomes bold. 
A soldier who is faint-hearted is already half conquered, 
said St. Antony. 



Meekness, IJ3 

St. Catharine of Siena, when assailed by the greatest 
aridity, animated herself by saying: ''• Infamous creature! 
when you are deserving of darkness, of torments all your 
life, should you not be glad at this price to avoid those 
which are eternal ?^^ A simple resolution not to sin again, 
made during the time of spiritual dryness, is of more value 
before Our Saviour than a thousand resolutions made with 
the greatest fervor in the time of consolation, say masters 
of the spiritual life. 

Prayer, 

My God, grant that in temptation and tribulation I may 
not lose confidence, but that I may humble myself, that I 
may invoke Thee, that I may keep myself united to Thee, 
and that these trials serve to increase my love for Thee. 

Twenty-third Day. 

Be always meek and good-hiiraored iu the midst of your occupa- 
tions and your cares. This good example is expected of you. — Bt. 
Francis of Sales, 

St. Athanasius wrote of St. Antony that he was always 
so happy that each day seemed for him an Easter-day. A 
stranger going into the desert to see him, and finding him 
in the midst of the other monks, would be able to distin- 
guish him from the others by the joy and goodness which 
beamed in his countenance. This great joy, continues 
St. Athanasius, came from the great hope he had of para- 
dise. His mind was always occupied with things eternal, 
on which he could not dwell without being penetrated with 
a holy joy. 

Prayer* 

My God, give me a great confidence that through the 
merits of my Saviour I may gain heaven, and that this con- 
fidence make me always happy, fill me with joy, and make 
me bless God in all things. 



114 May. 



Twenty-fourth Day. 

Thoughts which disquiet us and agitate our minds do not come 
from God, AYho is the Prince of peace; they come from the devil, 
self-love, or esteem of ourselves. These are the three sources which 
give birth to all our troubles. Therefore when we have such thoughts 
we must reject them immediately, and make no account of them. — 
St. Francis of Sales. 

The reason why the holy bishop of Geneva was never 
troubled, never disquieted, and in the midst of the greatest 
crosses and most serious occupations never lost the peace of 
his soul, so that it was even impossible to converse with 
him without feeling a kind of spiritual joy, was that in a 
manner he laughed at the temptations of the devil and 
was humble of heart. 

St. Antony spoke thus to the demons: ^^If you had any 
strength, one of you would suffice to conquer a single man. 
It is because you are weak that you unite yourselves against 
me, and try to frighten me. Know that I fear you not/^ 

Prayer, 
My God, give me grace never to be troubled in my occu- 
pations, my pains, my temptations. Thou art my father. 
Thou lovest me, I love Thee. Thou wilt have pity on me, I 
will say to my soul, Why dost thou fear? hope in thy 
God. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

Can there be anything really worthy of disturbing our peace ? 
Should the universe be overthrown, 1 would not trouble myself. 
There is nothing in the world that can be compared to peace of heart. 
Let us do nothing which might endanger our losing it. — St. Francis 
of Sales. 

St. Martin was once attacked by a scoundrel who at- 
tempted to take his life. He was about to strike the saint 
with his sword, when, perceiving the saint did not fear him, 
he said: '^What! you are not afraid?'^ '^^o/' said St, 



Meekness. 115 

Martin, ^^ all you can do is to take my life. Death is not an 
evil, I desire it; it will put me in possession of a sovereign 
good/^ 

St. Vincent de Paul and St. Francis of Sales never tried 
to do good by the power of their authority alone, fearing 
to lose their peace of soul; besides, they knew that the good 
which is done with an unwilling heart does not long con- 
tinue. The means they made use of were sweetness and per- 
suasion, begging at the same time that He Who is Master of 
hearts would give success to that which they undertook for 
His glory. 

Prayer. 

My Grod, give me a good conscience, and peace of heart, 
which is its fruit. Grant me grace to preserve it in all my 
occupations, tribulations, and temptations. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

If it be possible, never permit yourself to become angry; never 
open the door of your heart to this passion under any pretext what- 
ever. You may not be able to drive it away, neither can you control 
it at will; but should it happen to take possession of you, hasten and 
gather your forces to preserve your peace of heart, gently, without 
violence, as it is important not to increase the wound, but soothe it. 
— Bt, Francis of Sales. 

A servant of God who was naturally of a violent temper 
often addressed these words to Jesus Christ: ^^Lord, teach 
me to be meek.^^ When tempted to anger, he repeated with- 
out ceasing these words : Blessed are the meek, happy are 
they who are meek ! When he found that he had fallen into 
this fault, he hastened to make an act of contrition, gave 
an alms to the poor, and practised during the day many 
acts of sweetness. 

Prayer. 

my God, happy are they who are meek. My dear 
Saviour, I will learn of Thee to be meek and humble of 
heart. Grant that I may practise continually the meekness 
th^t Thou commandest. 



1 1 6 May, 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

The remedies against anger are, first, to prevent it, if possible, or 
to occupy the mind with thoughts which tend to allay the move- 
ments of the heart when excited; second, to imitate the apostles, who, 
in the time of tempest, had recourse to God, to Whom it belongs to 
give peace to the heart; third, to do nothing, to say nothing, during 
the time the heart is agitated, relating to that which gave rise to 
anger; fourth, to oblige ourselves to make acts of sweetness and hu- 
mility towards those for whom we feel sentiments of anger. — St, 
Francis of Sales. 

The holy Bishop of Geneva having been injured^ threat- 
ened^ abused, some one admiring his heroic patience, the 
saint said: ^^ Be not astonished at my silence. I have made 
a compact with my tongue that it never move to say a 
word of anger against those who may speak ill of me/^ 

A wise man gave to Augustus C^sar this counsel: 
^^ When you feel yourself moved to anger, say nothing, do 
nothing until you have in your mind gone over the twenty- 
four letters of the alphabet."^ '' iVctions done, words said, in 
a time of passion, are never directed by reason or religion,^^ 
St. Vincent de Paul often said. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will make an agreement with my heart that it 
will never be open to sentiments of hatred or a desire of re- 
venge. I will make an agreement with my tongue that it 
will never say an evil word of those who I think have done 
me ill. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

Accustom yourself to have a heart docile, amiable, submissive, 
which will condescend in all things, and at all times, to everything 
permissible, for the love of God. For this end, every morning put 
your heart in a state of humility, of tranquillity, and of sweetness. 
During the day, from time to time examine if it be not attached to 
something earthly. In such a case renounce this affection ; if you do 
not, 3"ou will never wholly possess peace of heart. — St. Francis of 
Sales. 

This saint endeavored, above all things, to make himself 
^11 to all, He did this for love of his neighbor and to please 



Meekness. 1 1 7 

God, because by his lively faith he saw His image in all 
men. 

St. Vincent de Paul recommended the practice of often 
examining one's self daring the day to see whether the 
heart was attracted by anything away from God. 

M. Boudon repeated, without ceasing, these words: ^^God 
alone, God alone, and always God alone, ^^ lest his heart 
might become attached to creatures. 

The abbot Agatho said that he never retired to rest 
at night without having first sought and obtained peace for 
his heart, that he might obey the words of Our Saviour by 
the prophet: "Seek peace, and follow il/^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I wish to make myself all to all to please Thee, 
and I will not cease to purify my heart, that I may be agree- 
able in Thy eyes. Give me Thy peace. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

An excellent means to acquire meekness of heart is to accustom 
one's self to act without precipitation, to speak slowl}^ in conversa- 
tion, and in a low tone. — Bt. Francis of Sales. 

This saint, who made it his delight to walk sweetly in 
the presence of God, never acted with haste, lest he might 
lose the spirit of recollection. ^^You ask me, ^^ said he, 
" how, upon a certain occasion when all around was in such 
precipitation, I alone was not in haste ? What can I say ? 
I was not placed in this world to make disquiet; is there 
not enough, without creating more T^ The modesty with 
which the saint conversed was ravishing to those who be- 
held him. 

Prayer. 

My God, give me the grace to conduct myself without 
haste, to always possess my soul in peace, to preserve sweet- 
ness of heart. How advantageous it is never to lose recol- 
lection of soul, and to walk ahvays in Thjr presence! 



ii8 May. 

Thirtieth Day. 

To continually maintain your peace of soul, endeavor to perform 
all your actions in tlie presence of God, as if He Himself bad regu- 
lated the manner of your performing them. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. John Berchmans^ who was always the same — always 
humble, modest, without ever being troubled or losing his 
peace, never performed an action without first consulting 
Grod, and performing it in His divine presence. 

One of the Fathers of the desert, being interrogated as to 
the means he employed to be always composed, always in 
the same humor, replied: ^^I often think of my guardian 
angel, who is ever at my side, who assists me in all my 
needs, who tells me in all circumstances what I should do, 
what I should say, and who, after every action, writes down 
the manner in which I have performed it. This thought 
penetrates me with such religious respect that I am atten- 
tive to say or do nothing to displease him/^ 

Prayer. 

Lord, grant that I may see Thee at all times; that I 
may do nothing that will displease Thee; that I may en- 
deavor to please Thee in all things by doing all things 
under Thy eyes, in the manner Thou wilt and when Thou 
wilt. 

Thirty-first Day. 

A great means to preserve one's peace and tranquillity of heart 
continually is to receive as coming from the hands of God all 
things, whatever they may be and in whatever manner they come. 
—St. Dorothy, 

'^ You are astonished because I suffer with tranquillity 
what you have just heard," said St. Francis of Sales to a 
religious who had witnessed injurious language addressed 
to him. ••' Do you not see that God has ordained, from all 
eternity, the grace He has given me to support voluntarily 
this opprobrium ? Should I not drink the chalice which 
has been prepared by the hands of so good a Father ?" 



Meekness, 119 

^^ There does not fall a single hair from our head without 
the order or permission of our heavenly Father. To 
know this clearly and perfectly/^ said a great servant of 
God, '' is what renders a soul happy on earth. The cross 
which would be hell becomes a paradise to those to whom 
Our Saviour gives a knowledge of this truth.^^ 

St. Teresa, having learned that a vessel laden with pro- 
visions and goods, bought at Valerne for her monastery, had 
been lost, gathered her daughters before the Blessed Sacra- 
ment to praise and. thank God. "^^I rejoice,^^ said she. 
^^God has willed it; He is Master. It has been done by 
the hand of God.'' 

Prayer, 

Nothing happens, my God, but by Thy order or permis- 
sion. All is done by Thy hands. I will look upon every- 
thing that happens as coming from Thee. I will not cease 
to bless Thee in all. Thou art the Master; Thou art my 
God. 



JUNE. 

OtDedience. 

'' All^ therefore^ they shall say to you^ observe and ^o."— St. 
Matt, xxiii. 3. 

First Day. 

All have a natural inclination to command and an aversion to 
obey; nevertheless, it is certain that it is more profitable to obey than 
to command. This is why perfect souls love so much to obey, and 
find nothing more agreeable. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. Teresa often thanked God for the desire He had given 
her to be obedient; obedience was the virtue in the prac- 
tice of which she found most consolation. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi found so much delight in obeying 
that she feared the happiness she experienced might deprive 
her of the merit of obedience. Not satisfied with being 
always submissive to her Superiors, she submitted to her 
companions, even to those who were inferior to her. There 
was one among them whose permission she always asked in 
the performance of the least duties. 

Prayer. 

My God, give me a love for obedience; grant that I may 
find nothing more agreeable, and that I may do everything 
through obedience. 

Second Day. 

Obedience is without doubt more meritorious than any austerity. 
What austerity is greater than to keep the will continually submis- 
sive and obedient ? — St. Catharine of Bologna. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi, who was very mortified during the 
time of an illness she had, was accustomed to refuse any 

120 



Obedience, \i\ 

delicacy given her; but if they added that she was to take 
it through obedience, she immediately accepted it, saying 
only, '^ Blessed be God/' 

St. Dositheus, who on account of his great infirmities 
could not practise the austerities nor follow the exercises of 
- the community of anchorites among whom he lived, labored 
to sanctify himself by the practice of obedience. He made 
such progress in the path of perfection by this means that 
Our Lord made known to him that he would receive a crown 
in heaven like to that of the great St. Antony. If this 
seems astonishing, it is because we do not understand the 
merit of obedience. 

Prayer, 
my God, there is no sacrifice more agreeable to Thee 
than that of the will. I offer Thee mine; I wish that it be 
always submissive. * 

Third Day. 

Obedience is a penance of the reason ; this is what renders the 
sacrifice more agreeable to God than corporal penance. God loves 
in you better the least degree of obedience than all the services you 
could render Him. — 8t. John of the Cross, 

This saint, having made his course of theology, was or- 
dered back to his conventual life. His director, who thought 
he perceived that the science he had acquired gave him 
thoughts of pride, gave him a catechism, and forbade him 
to read anything else ; he even ordered him to pause at 
each syllable as children do. John of the Cross submitted. 
During a considerable time he read no other book; he read 
it in the manner he had been commanded, and through 
obedience. By this means he acquired in a high degree 
this virtue and all others. 

Prayer. 
My God, give me a love of obedience. I will do promptly, 
with fidelity and joy, for Thy love, all that is commanded 
me. 



122 June. 



Fourth Day. 

A single drop of perfect obedience is of a million times more 
value than an entire vase of the most sublime contemplation. — St. 
Magdalene of Pazzi, 

St. Felix^ the Capucllin, always showed the most perfect 
readiness to execute lovingly the orders of his Superiors, 
no matter what they might be. He carried so far his love 
for obedience that his Superiors were obliged to refrain in 
his presence from manifesting their inclinations, lest the 
saint might regard it as a command and hasten to execute 
it. The least sign of their will was sufficient to cause him 
to obey instantly. 

Prayer. 

My God, I submit to Thee my will. I will only what 
Thou wiliest, and will obey those who hold Thy place in 
my regard. I will obey them as if it were Thyself. 

Fifth Day. 

It is more meritorious to pick up a straw through obedience than 
to preach, to fast, or to chastise the body, if in so doing we follow 
our own will. — Rodriguez. 

St. Frances, one day whilst reciting the office of the 
Blessed Virgin, was interrupted many times in the same 
anthem by her husband calling her. Our Lord mani- 
fested in a most singular manner that her obedience was 
most agreeable to Him. 

A holy religious, desiring to animate herself to perform 
all things through obedience, with eyes upon her crucifix, 
which she lovingly kissed, would say to her Saviour: Facfus 
es ohediens usque ad mortem^ ^^Thou wast obedient even 
unto death.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I desire no longer to do my own will ; I will 
sacrifice it to Thee upon all occasions. Disciple of a God 



Obedience. 123 

Who was obedient for me even unto death, how can I re 
fuse to obey ? 

Sixth Day. 

The whole welfare of Christians consists in the accomplishment of 
the divine will; and we never execute better this will than by the 
practice of obedience, in which is found the destruction of self-love 
and the true liberty of the children of God. Hence the reason why 
all truly virtuous souls love so much to obey. — Si. Vincent de Paul, 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi had much love for obedience, be- 
cause she knew this virtue preserved he^from the danger 
of self-will. If she was attacked by a temptation, or if 
she was sick, and was commanded to perform some duty, 
her face instantly became radiant with joy to have an occa- 
sion to obey. 

Prayer. 

My God, may all my actions be so many acts of obedience ! 
I will not cease to obey, that I may accomplish always Thy 
holy will. 

Seventh Day. 

He who possesses not the virtue of obedience does not deserve the 
name of religious. Why is it that he who is obliged by vow to 
obedience and fails to keep it entered into religion ? — St. Teresa. 

St. Prances de Chantal at one time gave permission to a 
religious to use some money for a pressing need in the 
convent, which St. Francis de Sales had ordered to be em- 
ployed only in taking care of the sick. She expected to 
be able to replace it with money a person had promised to 
give to the monastery. But the saint felt uneasy on the 
subject, lest she had sinned against obedience. She hast- 
ened to write to Francis of Sales. He came to the convent. 
She immediately threw herself at his feet, accusing herself 
with tears of the fault she had committed, and ever after 
she never thought of it without shedding tears, as she her- 
self declares. 



1 24 June, 

Prayer. 
My God, I am heartily sorry for having so long sought in 
all things to do my own will. I renounce it ; I ask pardon 
for having so oifended Thee. Let me lose ray life rather 
than refuse to obey. 

Eighth Day. 

Would you know who are true religious? It is they who by mor- 
tification have so subjugated their wills that they know not how to 
will anything but by the command or advice of their Superior. — 

Si, Fulgentius. 

St. Teresa was well persuaded of this truth. She said 
if all the angels told her to do a thing, and her Superior 
commanded her to perform the contrary, she would obey 
the order of her Superior. '' Obedience to Superiors/^ added 
she, ^^is commanded by God in Holy Scripture; conse- 
quently it is of faith. One cannot be deceived in obeying, 
while revelations are subject to illusions. ^^ 

Prayer, 
My God, I submit to Thee my will. I will nothing in 
future but that which those command and counsel me who 
hold Thy place. 

Ninth Day. 

Every one who enters religion should leave his own will outside 
the door of the monastery, that he may have no other will but that 
of God. — si. Francis of Sales. 

When St. Dositheus consecrated himself to the Lord in 
the religious life, he divested himself entirely of his own 
will, and submitted it entirely to that of his Superior. He 
made known to him his temptations, his thoughts ; and by 
this entire renouncement of himself, and great openness of 
heart, he obtained a peace, a tranquillity of soul that noth- 
ing could disturb. 

Prayer, 

My God, I divest myself of my will for love of Thee. I 
will have no will but Thine. What divine peace does he 



Obedience. 125 

not taste who is conducted like a child^ who wills what 
Thou wiliest and because Thou wiliest it! 

Tenth Day. 

Many religious as well as other persons have become saints with- 
out passing much time in exercises of piety ; but not one of them be- 
came a saint without obedience. — St, Francis of 8ales, 

A lay-Brother in the monastery of St. Bernard was dan- 
gerously ill. The saint visited him, and encouraged him by 
telling him he would soon pass from this place of pain and 
suffering to eternal rest. " Yes/^ said he, " I have confidence 
in the divine mercy, and feel assured of enjoying soon the 
happiness of being with my God." St. Bernard, fearing 
it might be presumption in him to speak thus, replied: 
" What is it you say, my Brother ? At one time you had 
nothing, were so miserable, could scarcely live. God loved 
you and placed you here, where you have wanted for noth- 
ing. Instead of thanking Him for His benefits, you 
presume to a place in His kingdom as if it belonged to you 
by inheritance. " " My Father," replied the sick man, " what 
you say is true ; but have you not preached that the king- 
dom of God is not obtained by riches or nobility, but that by 
obedience we may gain it ? I have acted upon that maxim 
which you have so often repeated. I have never failed to 
obey those who commanded me ; of this you can be in- 
formed by those in the monastery. Why, then, should I not 
confidently expect what you have promised on the part of 
God ?" This answer so pleased the saint that, in speaking 
afterwards to his religious on obedience, he related this cir- 
cumstance. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may never forget that the kingdom 
of God is acquired by obedience. It is by obedience one 
becomes a saint. 



126 j-2ine. 



Eleventh Day. 

Obedience is the abridgment of perfection and of all spiritual 
life. It is a means the least painful, the least dangerous, tie surest, 
and the shortest to enrich one's self in virtue, and to arrive at our 
desired end, which is eternal life. — Fatfier Aharez. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi, on her death-bed. said that when 
she recalled all that had happened during the course of 
her life, nothing gave her so much tranquillity as the 
thought that she had never been guided in anything by 
her own will or her own judgment: that she had always 
followed the will or judgment of her Superiors and 
directors. 

Prayer, 

Lord, teach me to be obedient as Thou wert. How can I 
neglect to make use of a means so sure and efficacious for 

my sanctification ? 

Twelfth Day. 

The demon, knowing that there is no other path which leads so 
quickly to the summit of perfection as that of obedience, turns 
many from the practice of this virtue through an appearance of 
good. — 5f. Tere^sa. 

St. Bridget had a great attraction for corporal penances. 
She gave herself to these with, if possible, too much ardor. 
Her director perceived this and desired to correct it; in 
consequence he retrenched a part of the mortifications the 
saint had been accustomed to perform. The saint obeyed, 
but it was not without much pain lest she might become 
unmortified. Our Lord instructed and consoled her by 
causing her to hear these words : " Of two persons desiring 
to fast, if the one who has the liberty to do so fasts, and the 
other, though desiring to do so. does nor. because he is under 
obedience and is forb:dden to do so, the first receives a 
recompense, the second receives two — one for the desire he 
had to fast, and another for having obeyed.'^ 



Obedience. 127 

Prayer. 
my God, what good can I do in Thy eyes if I refuse 
to obey those who take Thy place over me ? I will see Thee 
in them, I will obey them as if it were Thyself, I will en- 
deavor to do Thy will in accomplishing theirs. 

Thirteenth Day. 

It is plainly evident that he who feels inclined to perform a good 
work yields to a temptation when it is contrary to obedience; because 
when God fills a heart with inspirations, the first is that of obedience. 
■^Bl. Teresa, 

A religious wrote to St. Francis of Sales that it was with 
much trouble she performed certain acts she was obliged 
to perform through obedience, and that she was persuaded 
she could do them much better in another manner. The 
saint replied : *^ To wish to live according to your own will 
that you may better do that of God, — what an illusion! 
Could an inclination so irregular be an inspiration from 
God ? What a contradiction ! Nobody ever saw one like it.^^ 

Prayer. 
Lord, I do not wish to live according to my own will. 
My most delicious food shall be to accomplish Thine, 
which is always holy, always adorable, always amiable. It is 
Thou Who givest me the desire to obey in all things. Give 
me strength to obey constantly, to obey with joy for love of 
Thee. 

Fourteenth Day. 

To have entire obedience, it must be shown iu three things — in the 
execution, in the will, and in the judgment. In the execution, by 
doing promptly, joyously, and punctually what the Superior orders; 
in the will, by willing only what the Superior wills; in the judg- 
ment, by being of the same sentiments as the Superior. — St. Ignatius 
Loyola. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi possessed what is called blind 
obedience; she obeyed without reasoning. Whenever or- 
dered to perform any duty, she would say: " The Superior 
is right, my will is hers,'' and obejr with joy. Our Lord 



1 28 June, 

inspired lier to practise some great mortification; but before 
doing so, she consulted her Superior, who did not give her 
permission at first. She abstained, therefore, from practis- 
ing it, despite her own will and the revelations she had had. 
^'I admire the little Infant of Bethlehem,'' said St. 
Francis of Sales. '' He Who knew all things, Who had so 
great power, suffered them to do as they pleased with 
Him, without ever saying a word.'' 

Prayer, 
My God, grant that I may obey with joy, with promptness 
and punctuality, whatever is commanded me. I will obey 
blindly, without reasoning, in everything that is not sin. 

Fifteenth Day. 

Obedience does not alone consist in doing actually what is com- 
manded, but in being in a continual disposition to do whatsoever may 
be ordered upon any occasion. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Francis Xavier possessed this admirable disposition. 
He used to say that, although God had made use of him so 
efficaciously for the conversion of infidels, that one word 
from his Superior, St. Ignatius, would suffice to bring him 
to Italy, and to leave his mission from which he expected 
such great fruits. 

Prayer. 

My God, I am resolved to dispose myself to do all that 
those who hold Thy place command me. Make them know 
what is for my good ; my heart is ready. 

Sixteenth Day. 

One is truly obedient when he executes joyously and without 
repugnance something commanded which is contrary to his natural 
inclination and not to his own advantage. — Rodriguez. 

St. John Berchmans was ordered to serve a long Mass 
which was said at an hour most inconvenient for him, 
as it happened during the time for study. He accepted the 
commission with joy, and served for several months with- 
out showing the least sign of discontent or without seeking 
to change what was assigned him by Providence, 



Obedience, 129 

Prayer. 
My God, it is not my inclination I will follow, but Tliy 
will. May the accomplisbment of Thy will be my delight! 
I will obey with joy in all things to perfectly accomplish it. 

Seventeenth Day. 

He who is truly obedient makes no distinction between one thing 
and another, one employment and another; he desires nothing else 
but to execute faithfully what is commanded. — St. Bernard. 

St. Jerome, while visiting the monks of the desert, found 
one who for eight consecutive years had carried on his shoul- 
ders a large stone twice a day to a considerable distance, in 
obedience to his Superior, who had commanded him to do 
so. Having asked him if it were not hard to obey in this, 
he replied that he found as much pleasure in this as if he had 
been ordered to perform something of much importance. 
" These are the ones who make progress in virtue,'^ said the 
saint, '' because they nourish themselves with the accom- 
plishing of the will of God. What he related to me touched 
me in such a manner that I commenced from that time 
to live like a monk.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I desire nothing but to execute faithfully all 
Thou ordainest. What can I do more to please Thee than 
to obey for love of Thee those whom Thou placest over me ? 

Eighteenth Day. 

The excellence of obedience does not consist in doing the will of 
a Superior who is sweet and good, who commands more by asking 
as a favor than by authority, but to be ever submissive to the yoke of 
one who is imperious, rigorous, severe, of an ill-humor, who never 
seems to be satisfied. — St. Bernard, 

St. Jane Frances often said that she would have had much 
more satisfaction in obeying the least one among the Sisters, 
who would do nothing but contradict, and command with 
harshness, than in obeying the most learned or experienced 
in the Order. ^' The less of the creature the more we shall 
find of the Creator/' added she. 

St. Catharine of Bologna desired that her Superior 



1 30 June. 

would always treat her harshly, and command the most 
difficult things. She had learned by experience, she said, 
that it is good to obey in things easy, but that nothing so 
enriches the soul with virtue in so short a time, nothing 
unites it more closely to God, than to obey joyfully a Supe- 
rior whose manner was harsh and repugnant to our nature. 

Prayer, 
My God, what wilt Thou that I do ? Make it known 1 
me by those who hold Thy place. I will obey Thee in 
obeying them, no matter what it cost. 

Nineteenth Day. 

Unless you do violence to yourself, and unless you arrive at that 
point when it becomes indifferent to you whether yon have one 
Superior or another, do not persuade yourself that you are a spiritual 
man and a faithful observer of your vows.— /S^. John of the Cross. 

St. Francis of Assisi has said that among other graces 
which he had received from God one was, that he would 
obey with the same promptness a novice of an hour as he 
would an old religious of great merit. 

St. Ignatius charged a lay-Brother to take care of the 
health of St. Francis Borgia. St. Francis obeyed the 
Brother as if it had been St. Ignatius himself. 

Prayer, 

I am ready, my God, to obey all those who have the right 
to command me, no matter what may be their faults or 
how repulsive their manner. I will obey them with love, as 
I would obey a saint, as I would obey Jesus Christ Himself. 
It is Thou I will see in them. 

Twentieth Day. 

Remember that you have given yourself to your Superior for the 
love of God and to gain heaven; you do not, then, belong to yourself, 
but to him to whom you have given yourself. Therefore it is not 
permitted that you do anything of yourself or without his consent. 
You are not master of your will, but he is. — St. John of the Cross. 

A saint, when dying, said to his confessor : " Thanks be to 
God, since the time I gave my will into your hands I have 
not even drawn a breath contrary to obedience/^ 



Obedience. 131 

Prayer. 
My God^ I renounce my will. T will continually renew 
this renouncement. I will do nothing of my own will, 
since I belong no longer to myself. I wish that every 
action be an act of obedience. 

Twenty-first Day, 

When there is question of obedience, do not regard the qualities 
or the manner of the Superior, for fear you are not obeying God, 
Whose place the Superior holds. Oh, what a wound the demon 
makes in the heart of a religious when he begins to dwell upon the 
faults of his Superior ! — Bt. John of the Cross. 

St. John Berchmans always saw God in his Superiors, 
and he always felt for them the greatest veneration. He 
said he never had for any of them the least aversion; that 
he found no difficulty in. honoring them, obeying them, 
and of being of their opinion. 

Prayer. 
My God, I will see only Thee in my Superiors; I will 
agree with their opinions, will obey promptly and joyfully. 

Twenty-second Day. 

When the Superior orders a thing, it is not he who speaks, it is 
God. The Superior is but a trumpet through which the voice of 
God passes. This is the key of obedience; this is the reason why 
those who work for perfection obey in all things so promptly, mak- 
ing no difference between one Superior or another, obeying in the 
same manner the lowest in charge the same as the highest, those 
who are imperfect as well as the perfect. They pay no attention to 
the qualities nor the person of the Superior, but to God alone, Who 
is always and at all times the same, equally worthy of our submis- 
sion, on account of His perfections and His authority, which never 
change. — Rodriguez. 

St. Louis Gonznga said he never remembered having 
transgressed in a single point the orders of his Superior. 

St. Teresa, who sometimes had confessors who were not 
very enlightened nor wise, obeyed them as exactly as if 
they were most gifted and learned. She often said that 
when a confessor commanded a thing which w^as not a sin, 



132 y2i7te, 

one should always obey without examining into the rea- 
sons which required the command. 

Prayer, 
My God, grant that I may regard my Superiors as the 
organ through which Thou makest known Thy commands, 
and that I may obey, on account of Thy perfections, which 
are infinite, and Thy authority, which is sovereign. 

Twenty-third Day. 

Do you know why it is that many who are a long time in religion, 
practising so many acts of obedience each day, do not acquire the 
habit of this virtue ? It is because they do not obey to do the will of 
God. This should be the reason of our obedience. — Bodriguez. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi regarded always the person of 
God in her Superiors. In obeying them she desired to 
do the will of God; all that her Superior commanded her 
seemed ordered by God. From this she always experi- 
enced inexpressible satisfaction in obeying. 

Prayer, 

My God, I will obey to accomplish Thy will. What can 
I do more glorious, more delicious, more advantageous, or 
more necessary for my soul ? 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

If it happen that you are moved to thoughts or judgments con- 
trary to obedience, which appear to you to be just, make no ac- 
count of them; reject them as quickly as true Christians reject 
thoughts against chastity or faith. — St. John Climacus. 

St. John Berchmans felt a little repugnance in obeying 
a certain religious, but he immediately combated this 
natural dislike; he endeavored to banish from his mind the 
thought that this religious was indiscreet in exacting from 
him considerable time which he required to perform his 
duties, by reflecting upon the great advantage it v/as to him 
to obey in something contrary to his inclinations. He 
afterwards related to his Superior with much simplicity the 
victory which with God^s grace he had gained over himself, 
and never afterwards felt the same repugnance. 



Obedience. 133 

Prayer. 
Grant, my God, that I may never have any repugnance 
to obey. If I feel any, grant that I do not show it, but may 
triumph over it for love of Thee. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

Take care that you examine not nor judge the orders of your Su- 
perior; that is not the business of him who must submit, but of him 
who commands. — 8t, Jerome. 

It was said of St. John Berchmans that he had not 
sufficient prudence to perform something which was re- 
quired of him. To the one who spoke thus he said : " My 
brother, I ought to leave prudence to him who commands ; 
as for me, I will hold to obedience.^^ 

Prayer. 
Lord, I will no longer examine or judge the commands 
given me. Is it not sufficient for me to know them, since 
I am obliged to obey ? Thou only askest of me the accom- 
plishment of Thy will. I will wish to do it constantly to 
please Thee. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

To be truly obedient it is not sufficient to do what is commanded; 
we must do still more: obey without hesitation and without ques- 
tion. Hold it for certain that what is commanded is what you can 
do best and most perfectly, although it may not appear so to you. 

—Bt. Philip Neri, 

Father Alvarez always obeyed with joy; he knew from 
experience that it was very advantageous to execute orders 
which do not seem to be dictated even by human pru- 
dence. He would say: "What did Jesus Christ do to cure 
the blind man ? He took mud with which He rubbed his 
eyes, and said to him, ' Go, wash in the pool of Siloe.' 
Might not this blind man have said : ' What a remedy! more 
proper to take away the eyesight than to restore it! ^ But 
he did not reason in this manner; he hastened to do as he 
had been commanded, and because he obeyed without rea- 
soning he was cured," 



134 7^^^- 

Prayer. 
My God, give me the grace to obey always without ex- 
amining, without reasoning, without hesitating. There is 
nothing better, nothing more perfect than to do so for Thy 
love and because Thou hast commanded it. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

He who would be a good religious should regard himself as the 
servant of the monastery. He will not choose the burden he must 
carry, he will not go by the way he chooses, but will accommodate 
himself to every one's wishes. He walks or stops at the will of the 
one who conducts him; he works during the day, even at night if 
it be required of him. He carries the burden laid upon his back 
without saying, Why is it, or, It is too much or too little. — Abbot 
Nesteran. 

Such was the excellent resolution this holy abbot made 
when he entered upon a religious life; he accordingly made 
rapid progress in the virtues of his state of life, and became 
in a short time a perfect religious. " I am here but for the 
purpose of obeyiug and serving others. I desire but that/^ 
said another religious. 

It is by this path that St. Felix, the Capuchin, arrived 
at so high a degree of sanctity that he has a place upon 
our altars. 

Prayer. 

My God, I am here to obey, to serve others. I wish to 
obey all, to be the servant of all, to be agreeable in Thy 
eyes. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

He who has promised obedience allows himself to be governed by 
Divine Providence, through the Superior whose mstrument he is, 
like one who is dead. It is a sign that one is dead not to see, not 
to feel, not to answer, not to complain, not to wish one thing more 
than another, but to permit one's self to be carried where others will, 
and how they wilL Examine whether your obedience is wanting 
in anything. — St. Ignatius. 

The day upon which St. Magdalene of Pazzi received the 
religions habit she humbly prostrated herself at the feet 



Obedience, 135 

of her mistress, and resigning herself entirely to her will, 
said: ^^ I will be henceforth in your hands like one who 
is dead. Do with me as you please; I will refuse you noth- 
ing. Do not, I beseech you, fear to humble and mortify 
me.^^ The saint kept her promise; she was so dead to her 
own will that it might be said she possessed none. 

Prayer. 
My God, I will die to my own will; I will have none in 
future. My will is Thine; let me be in Thy hands as wax 
to which Thou canst give any form Thou pleasest. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

The perfection of a person in a community consists in an exact 
obedience to the rules. He who observes them most faithfully will 
without doubt be the most perfect.-— i^ocZn^gcw^s;. 

St. Vincent de Paul was always the first at all the exer- 
cises of the community, because of his love for the Rule. 
He never failed to kneel upon entering his room,. and also 
before leaving it, as it was a point of the Rule; although 
towards the end of his life he found much difficulty in so 
doing on account of a weakness in his limbs. 

M. Joli, Superior-General of the Congregation of the Mis- 
sion, replied to a Superior of one of their houses who had 
asked for some exceptions from the Rule: " Our Rule is 
contrary to what you ask; we should love it strongly. I 
can give you no better reason. ^^ 

St. Jane Frances, appearing fatigued one day duiing 
recreation, the religious begged her to go to her room and 
rest. She replied, smiling: '' Ah, what would we do with a 
Rule that would order work in the time of recreation V^ 

The companions of St. Louis Gonzaga attest that they 
never saw him fail in a single point of the Rule. 

Prayer, 
My God, I love the Rule, because in obeying it I accom- 
plish Thy will and I do what is agreeable to Thee. Grant 
that I may be always faithful to it, for love of Thee. 



136 Jtine. 

Thirtieth Day. 

The predestination of religious is attached to a love of their rule, 
and in performing punctually what is their duty in virtue of their 
vocation. — Bi. Francis of Sales. 

Among the papers of St. Bonaventure was found the 
following, written in his hand : '' I have not entered relig- 
ion to live as the others live, but to live as they ought to 
live, according to the spirit of the institute, and in a per- 
fect observance of the Rule. This is why, upon enter- 
ing religion, I was given the rules to read, not the lives 
of others. I accepted them voluntarily, and took them for 
the direction of the life I should lead. I ought, then, to ob- 
serve them all, even if I saw no one else observe them.^^ 

St. Francis of Sales paid the highest praise to a General 
of the Carthusians who was so punctual in observing the 
Eule that not even the newest novice could be more exact. 

St. John Berchmans, being on his death-bed, asked for a 
book of the rules which he had so faithfully observed. 
When it was given to him, he clasped it lovingly and said: 
" Holding this book, I die with confidence and joy.^^ 

Prayer. 

Lord, here I am, to do Thy will. What wilt Thou of 
me ? My heart is ready. Command; Thou wilt be obeyed. 
With Thy grace nothing will seem difficult, all will be 
light. 



JULY. 

Sirmiplicity. 

^^ Be simple as doves, ''^ — St. Matt. x. 16. 
First Day. 

Those who make profession of following the maxims of Jesus 
Christ should greatly esteem simplicity. Although, in the judg- 
ment of the wise ones of the world, there is nothing more contempt- 
ible than simplicity, it is, nevertheless, a very amiable virtue, 
because it directly conducts to the kingdom of God. and likewise 
gains for us the affections of men. —St, Francis of Sales. 

St. Francis of Sales esteemed and loved simplicity. "I 
do not know what the virtue of prudence has done to me; 
it is hard for me to love it. If I love it^ it is througli ne- 
cessity, because it is the light which directs us here below; 
but the beauty of simplicity ravishes me. It is true, the 
Gospel recommends the simplicity of the dove and the 
prudence of the serpent, but I would give a hundred ser- 
pents for one dove. I know both are useful when united; 
it seems to me one should do as is done in medicinal com- 
positions: put in little of the viper and much of other salu- 
tary drugs/^ 

Prayer, 

My God, give me simplicity, and never permit me to 
wound this amiable virtue. 

Second Day. 

Those who possess the virtue of simplicity make themselves loved 
even by those who are deceitful.— /S^. Vincent de Paul, 

The simplicity of St. Phocas the Martyr was most ad- 
mirable. He cultivated a little garden, not so much for hi^ 
own use as to be able to give vegetables and fruit to travel- 

137 



138 July. 

lers and pilgrims. He received with ravishing charity all 
who came to ask his hospitality. He was denounced to the 
president of the province as the friend and refuge of Chris- 
tians. The president, who was a pagan, was enraged. He 
secretly sent some soldiers into Thrace with orders to find 
the saint and put him to death. They departed. One night 
they arrived at the house of Phocas. Not suspecting it was 
the house of the one they were seeking, they asked their 
supper and bed in a tone usual with soldiers. He assured 
them he had much pleasure in receiving them, and treated 
them to his best. His affable manners enchanted them. 
Charmed with his simplicity and frankness, they told him 
the object of their journey. " Do you know/^ said they, '^ a 
certain Phocas among the Christians, who is their protector, 
and who gives them refuge? AVe are here, by order of the 
prefect of the empire, to find him and put him to death. '^ 
" I know him well,^^ replied the saint. " Go to your rest 
tranquilly, without seeking further. To-morrow morning I 
will bring him to you; he will not escape you.^^ Depending 
upon him, they retired to rest, while he passed the night 
in pi-ayer. At the break of day he sought his guests, who 
were to become his assassins, bestowing upon them every 
mark of cordiality. The soldiers reminded him of his prom- 
ise. ^^ Fear not that I will fail in my promise; I will 
find him for you.^^ ^' Let us go, then,^' replied the sol- 
diers. " It is not necessary to leave the house," said he. 
'^ He is here; it is he who speaks to you. Yes, I am the 
Phocas you seek. Do with me as you please." Their aston- 
ishment cannot be expressed, nor their confusion, on hear- 
ing these words; they wished he had fled during the night. 
Neither dared to put a hand upon their benefactor; they 
wished to leave him his life, and to say to the prefect they 
had sought for him but could not find him. '' No," said 
the saint, '' one must never lie. You are to put me to death ; 
execute the orders you have received. I do not fear death." 
Finally he persuaded them. He placed his head in a posi- 
tion to be decapitated, and it was done. 



Simplicity. 139 

Prayer, 

Lord, he who walks with simplicity walks with confi- 
dence. Thou lovest those who are simple. Thou fiUest 
them with Thy graces. 

Third Day. 

Simplicity is nothiog else but a pure and simple act of charity, 
whose only end is the love of God. Our soul is truly simple when 
we have only this end in all we do. — St. Francis of Sales. 

The love of God was the only end St. Magdalene of Pazzi 
proposed in all she did. She expressed herself in the fol- 
lowing words: ^^If by saying one word, no matter how 
indifferent, I might become a seraph, and that word had 
any other object than the love of God, I would not say it.^^ 

''1 do not serve God/^said another saint, ^^for the king- 
dom of God, but on account of His goodness and charity. 
I serve Him because Jesus Christ has suffered for me, and 
because, being God, He deserves to be served,^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I desire only to love and to please Thee. I will 
seek only this. It is not to be happy I desire heaven, it is 
to love Thee perfectly. Oh, how touching is Thy love and 
goodness for me ! 

Fourth Day. 

The olBce of simplicity is to make us go straight to God, without 
listening to human respect, without consulting our own interest; 
to make us speak frankly and from our heart; to make us act simply, 
without any mingling of hypocrisy or artifice ; finally, to keep us far 
from duplicity or deceit. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint thought only of God in all his actions, and 
could not suffer that any one would seek anything out of 
Him. One of the priests of his congregation having been 
publicly accused of having performed an action through 
human respect, he reproved him severely, saying it would 



140 Jtdy. 

be better for him to be tied hands and feet and be thrown 
ifito the fire than to act with a view to please men. To 
one of his missionaries he said : '^ God, what kind of 
thoughts are these ? Where is the simplicity of a mission- 
ary, w4:io should always go direct to God ? Do you not know 
that duplicity does not please God, and that to be truly 
simple we should never see aught but Him V^ He was so 
far removed from all evasion or subterfuge that, when he 
spoke, one never feared to be deceived. 

Prayer, 

My God, I will seek only Thee in all things ; Thou alone 
wilt suffice. Happy is he who desires only Thee^ who 
possesses only Thee ! 

Fifth Day. 

God loves the simple; He converses willingly with them, He com- 
municates to them the knowledge of His truths, because He disposes 
of that to whom He pleases. It is not thus He deals with those who 
are not simple-minded. — tst. Vincent de Paul. 

Experience confirms this truth, said St. Vincent, because 
we often see that the spirit of religion is not ordinarily 
found among the wise and prudent of this world, but 
among the poor and simple, whom God enriches with a 
lively and practical faith, which enables them to believe and 
relish the words of eternal life. 

St. Ambrose, in the funeral oration which he made over 
his brother St. Satyre, remarked, among his other virtues, 
the simplicity of a child ; which, said he, shone in him as 
clearly as if one looked in a mirror, and which must have 
made him very dear to God, "Who, being by His nature very 
simple, necessarily loves those who possess this virtue. 

Prayer. 

My God, I desire simplicity, because Thou lovest souls 
who are simple; Thou makest Thyself known to them; 



Simplicity. 1 4 1 

and the more one is enlightened on Thy perfections and 
Thy love, the more one loves Thee. 

Sixth Day. 

True simplicity is like that of children, who think, speak, and act 
openly, without malice. They believe all that is told them ; they 
have no care over themselves; they do not even think for themselves, 
especially when with their parents: they keep close to them, hoping 
all from them, knowing that they are loved.— /8^. Francds of Sales. 

^^You have preached badly, you could not preach 
worse/^ said a person in authority to a worthy priest who 
had very much simplicity. " 1 thank you/^ said he. '^ Alas ! 
I hg-d the vanity to think I had not spoken so badly.^^ 

"When I have committed a sin/^ said a servant of God, 
^^what touches me most is the thought that in sinning 
I have had the misfortune to offend Him Who is the 
tenderest of fathers. I hasten to Him and say: ^0 my 
Father, I have sinned.' Pater, peccavi, I imagine I am like 
a little cliild ready to be chastised by his father for having 
disobeyed him, but who appeases his anger, so that the rod 
falls from the father's hand when the child protests he is 
sorry for his fault and will not commit it again.'' 

It is related of St. Francis of Sales that, when a child, 
he used to say : " God and my mother love me well." Let 
us say with simplicity : " God, Wlio is my father, the 
Blessed Virgin, who is my mother, love me well." Or with 
St. Ambrose : '^ What a good master have we not in God!" 

Prayer. 

My God, Thou art my father, I am Thy child. Thou 
treatest me as the best of mothers treats her little child. 
I will go to Thee as a little child to his mother, whom he 
loves and by whom he is tenderly loved. 



142 July. 



Seventh Day. 

When a soul that is simple wishes to say or do something, it is 
content to consider if it be expedient to do so, without taking time 
to consider what others may think or say. After having decided 
upon what to do, she thinks no more of it. If thoughts of what 
others may think come to mind, she makes no account of them, 
because she seeks only to please God, not creatures, and this is all 
that the love of God requires. — St. Francis of Sales. 

This holy bishop at one time made a visit to the Car- 
thusians. The General, who was a man eminent in piety and 
science, received him with great affability. Having en- 
tertained him for a length of time discoursing on holy 
things, he begged to be excused, saying that if he left him, 
it was because he was obliged to attend the matins, as it 
was tlie feast of a saint of the Order. As this excellent 
religious was going to his cell he met the purveyor, who 
represented to him that he thought he had done wrong to 
leave the holy bishop, as there was no one else capable of 
entertaining him. ^' We have not every day in our solitude 
so illustrious a prelate, while you are at liberty every day 
to assist at matins," said he. '' I think you are right,^^ said 
the General. Returning immediately to the saint, he related 
with great simplicity what had been said to him, making 
excuses for the fault he had committed without thinking, 
as he expressed it. The saint was in admiration at so great 
a simplicity, more struck, he said, than if he had witnessed 
a miracle. 

Prayer. 

Before doing any action, I will think of the consequence, 
lest I displease Thee, my God. In doing this I will ex- 
amine no more whether men oppose or blame. It is Thee 
alone I will seek, and will seek forever more. 



Simplicity, 143 



Eighth Day. 

Let your eyie be simple. When you do what God commands, fear 
not to displease men; fear only to displease the majesty of God. — Bi. 
Teresa. 

This saint said she applied herself entirely to act in a 
manner that would not displease Him Whose eyes were con- 
stantly fixed upon her. 

^' Since I have consecrated myself to the service of God I 
have done nothing privately that I would not do in public, 
because in my actions I am penetrated with the presence of 
God, which I fear more than men/^ said St. Vincent de 
Paul. 

Prayer, 

My God, grant that I may never act without a pure in- 
tention; penetrate me in such a manner with Thy presence 
and Thy perfections that I may do nothing for men, all for 
Thee, my God, all to please Thee, in accomplishing with 
joy and love Thy holy will. 

Ninth Day. 

When a man has done all that God requires of him towards the 
success of a thing, if he has simplicity, he is tranquil, whether it is 
a success or not. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

Marie-Henri Boudon, who often repeated these words, 
^*God alone, always God alone,^^ in order that he might 
do nothing but for God, was calumniated and horribly 
persecuted. But he did not lose his peace of soul. Far 
from being afflicted or complaining, he blessed God and 
thanked Him. " God wishes to try me or to chastise me in 
His mercy,'' said he. " Should I not consider myself happy 
to be treated thus by Him T' 

Prayer. 
How, my God, is it that my heart, which is so small, 
does not content itself with Thee alone, Who art infinite 



144 J^h- 

good, Who art all good? Thee alone, my God, Thee alone — 
I wish for Thee alone. Give Thyself to me, and do with 
me as Thou wilt. I will obey Thee and thank Thee for all. 

Tenth Day. 

If it happens that you say or do something which is not well re- 
ceived by all, you should not for tins reason reflect much upon it, 
because it is beyond a doubt that it is self-love which makes us seek 
to be approved in what w^e say or do. Simplicity abandons to Prov- 
idence the success of actions done for Him. — St. Francis of Sales. 

This holy prelate never desired to learn whether he was 
blamed or praised for that which he thought it his duty to 
do or to say. Learning one day that certain persons dis- 
approved of one of his actions, he replied, without seeming 
at all troubled: ^'I ought not to be surprised at what you 
tell me, since the works of Jesus Christ were not approved by 
all ; even to-day there are many who find fault with them.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, do not permit me to listen to self-love, which 
desires to be praised in all it does and says. I am jealous 
only of Thy approbation, as I desire to please Thee alone. I 
offer Thee all my actions; I will perform them for love of 
Thee, and then abandon them to Thy providence. 

Eleventh Day. 

Do Dot philosophize over your afflictions and your contradictions, 
but receive them with sweetness and with patience ; it suffices for 
you to know that they come from the hand of God.— /S^. Francis of 
Sales. 

Our Lord caused a person who was uneasy regarding 
something she had to suffer to hear these words : '^Thou 
sayest thou confidest in Me, and yet thou givest thyself 
anxiety !'^ 

St. Vincent de Paul received all from the hands of God, 
without discoursing on the designs of God upon him, only 
adoring them wdth respect. He was likewise never seen to 



Simplicity, 145 

show inquietude nor ill-humor, nor heard to complain even 
when overburdened with work and suffering most. 

Afflictions and contradictions were, according to the 
judgment of St. Teresa, presents from a heavenly Father, 
which she received with much gratitude. 

Prayer, 

My God, I am ready for all kinds of contradictions, per- 
secutions, and afflictions. I will not be anxious, I will not 
complain; I will receive them from Thy paternal hand, 
knowing Thou wilt a^^prove or chastise in Thy mercy. 

Twelfth Day. 

Those continual reflections one makes on one's self and one's ac- 
tions are opposed to simplicity and serve only to cause us to lose 
much time. By watching too closely to see if vre do well, it happens 
often that we do the thing itself badly. We are like the silk-worm 
which in making threads builds herself a prison. — St, Francis of 



This saint wrote as follows to a religions who reflected 
too much upon the movements of her self-love : ^^ Do not let 
their importunity trouble you ; be not alarmed at their mul- 
titude. Walk simply. God has left you these evil thoughts 
only that they may serve to unite you to Him. Do not de- 
sire to be perfect, but go on with a good heart, repose en- 
tirely upon the holy and loving confidence you should have 
in the sweetness of a Celestial Providence.^^ 

Prayer, 

my God, how many evil thoughts are there not in me ! 
But I will not be discouraged. Assist me with Thy grace, 
thivt I may use it to unite me to Thee. I will have the con- 
fidence of a child for the best of fatliers. 

Thirteenth Day. 

Continual reflection upon our faults is not pleasing in the eyes of 
God; it serves but to satisfy our miserable self-love. Walk simply. 
—St, Francis of Sales. 

A young religious who desired to become perfect was 
constantly troubled with sentiments of fear and discourage- 



146 J^f^ly* 

ment, because he occupied himself too much with his 
faults. Wishing to console himself, he opened his heart to 
a very virtuous religious who had had much experience. 
He was content to counsel him to follow the advice of the 
Holy Ghost^ Who says : " My son, keep thy soul in meek- 
ness, do in meekness all thy works.^^ Fill in mansnetii- 
dine serva animam tuam, in mansiietudine perfice opera 
hta. He followed this advice, tasted how sweet is the 
Lord, and made rapid progress in perfection. 

Praye7\ 
My God, I will, notwithstanding so many faults that are 
in me, preserve my soul in peace, perform in meekness all 
my actions, in order to taste how sweet Thou art, and to 
grow in Thy love continually. 

Fourteenth Day. 

A simple soul has not two measures. When we have to deliberate 
upon affairs which regard ourselves, and upon those which regard 
our neighbor, it is necessary to decide as if our affairs were those 
of our neighbor, and those of our neighbor our own. — St. Ignatius 
Loyola. 

A holy abbot having been consulted by one who doubted 
whether he could say or do certain things in a matter 
concerning another person, he replied: "Examine what 
would be the sentiments of your heart if they said or did 
thus with you, and in case you would yourself be displeased, 
remember to use moderation and charity to others.^^ 

St. Vincent de Paul was accustomed to say: "Let us 
have our eye as attentive to the interests of our neighbor 
as to our own.^^ This saint had some relatives who wrote 
to him to give them his assistance in a criminal process 
with which they were threatened. He refused to take any 
part in the affair, through his zeal for justice. Some of 
his friends wishing to interest themselves in their favor 
before the judge, he begged them to inform themselves be- 
fore all of the innocence of the accused, lest they might 
expose themselves to violate the laws of justice. 



Simplicity. 147 

Prayer. 

My God^ graat that I may be as interested for my neigh- 
bor as for myself. I love my neighbor as myself, for love of 
Thee, because Thou commandest it, and because I see in 
him Thy child whom Thou hast created and redeemed 
by the blood of my Saviour. 

Fifteenth Day. 

He who serves God in simplicity of heart is indifferent, no mat- 
ter what God may exact of him. The inquietude which is felt if we 
cannot give ourselves to certain exercises of piety, when obedience 
calls us to other duties, comes from a self-love very subtle, and 
shows that we seek rather to satisfy ourselves than to please God. — 
8t. Teresa, 

Father Alvarez, finding himself overwhelmed with occu- 
pations, complained lovingly to God that he had not time 
to entertain himself alone with Him. Then the voice of 
God spoke to him interiorly, saying: " Let it suffice that I 
make use of you, though you are not directly occupied with 
me.^' This answer was a source of consolation to him. 

The reason why St. Vincent de Paul, who was always 
much occupied, never complained that he could not give 
more time to exercises of piety, and was never distracted 
by the multiplicity of affairs, was because in all that he 
did he sought to please God alone. 

Prayer. 

My God, I am indifferent to everything, no matter what 
Thou mayest ask of me. I will never seek to please myself, 
but only to please Thee. 



1 48 July. 



Sixteenth Day. 

What benefit would it be for us if God had planted in our hearts 
a holy aversion for all that nature seeks with such ardor? or if every 
one accommodated themselves to us, or if everything succeeded with 
us? Let us pray God that He teach us to place in Him all our hap- 
piness, to love all that He loves, and only find agreeable that which 
pleases Him. — ISt, Vincent de Paul. 

A young anchorite asked of his master why charity was 
not as perfect in our day as it formerly was. This was the 
answer: '^ Christians in early times looked up to heaven, 
and elevated their hearts; but now all incline towards the 
earth, seeking only their own advantage/^ 

Prayer. 

My God, give me a holy aversion for all that nature so 
ardently seeks. Grant that I may put my hopes in Thee, 
that I love what Thou lovest, and that what pleases me 
be agreeable to Thee. 



Seventeenth Day. 

Those who are perfect and walk with simplicity do nothing but 
what is agreeable to God, because they seek in all things to please 
Him ; such is the end of all their occupations and of all their 
actions. To please God is their only ambition, hence the great 
merit they acquire in performing the least action. — Rodriguez. 

'' To what do you apply yourself most T^ asked some one 
of a great servant of God. He replied : " To be able to say 
with Jesus Christ, ' I do always that which is agreeable to 
my Father.' '' 

It is related of the celebrated Father Rileyra that during 
all his life he was as exact in keeping every point of the 
Rule as he had been in the time of his novitiate; he wished 
only to please God. It was in this path that St. Louis 
Gonzaga, St. John Berchmans, St. Magdalene of Pazzi^ and 
sso many others have been sanctified, 



Simplicity. 1 49 

Prayer, 
Lord, let the end of all my actions be to please Thee. 
.The only aim of my life is, after the example of my Saviour, 
to do what is agreeable to Thee. 

Eighteenth Day. 

God makes known His will to those who ask Him in simplicity. 
Let him who has a state of life to choose, or who would desire to 
know what he should do for the sauctification of his soul, renounce, 
first, all natural inclination, and place himself generously in the 
hands of God, firmly resolved to obey Him. Let him then weigh 
the pro and con, meditating on some truths of Scripture, drawing 
the consequences which are the result, and applying them to the 
end for which God has created us. If he still doubts what part he 
should take, let him suppose himself on his death-bed, or at the last 
judgment, and then determine to do what he would wish then to 
have done.~/S'^. Ignatius Loyola, 

St. Vincent de Paul having been consulted by an advocate 
whether it would be well for him to expatriate himself in 
order to take a position away from France, which would 
bring him much distinction, saying he was determined to 
follow the saint's advice, St. Vincent asked for time to 
recommend the matter to God. The next day he told 
him: ^^ During Mass I offered to God your petition, and 
begged of Our Lord, after the consecration, to enlighten 
me. I afterwards considered what I would counsel you if it 
was the mom^ent of my death. It seemed to me that if I were 
to die at that instant, I would be satisfied if I had per- 
suaded you from going. This, then, is my advice.^' 

A poor beggar, badly clothed, begged alms of a pious 
lady. She said to her servant: ''Give him a shirt. ^' The 
servant gave the worst he could find. " Give him a better 
one,'' said the lady. " What confusion would I not feel on 
the day of judgment, if Jesus Christ were to show to the 
whole world the garment you would give!'^ 

Prayer, 
My God, I will do nothing that Thou forbiddest. I will 
do all that Thou requirest, all that Thou dcsirest of me. 1 



I50 Jidy. 

will often say to myself, Would you do this if you were 
soon to appear before the tribunal of God ? 

Nineteenth Day. 

There is a kind of simplicity which makes one close the eyes to 
all sentiments of nature and of human reason, to fix them always 
upon the maxims of faith, and to make them constantly the rule of 
our actions. In all our words, actions, thoughts, and affairs, in every 
place and at every time, to consult faith, to do nothing but from its 
dictation — this is true simplicity. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

^^ Perform all your actions before your tomb/'^ said a 
servant of God. St. Bernard followed this salutary custom. 
Before actiug he asked himself this question: "If I should 
die in a few moments, would I perform the action I am 
about to do ?'^ 

St. Louis GoDzaga imagined himself upon the brink of 
eternity, and reflected and examined if what he was about 
to do would tend to make that eternity happy. 

Another, who would lead a holy life, had written this 
sentence where he might see it continually: "Before per- 
forming an action, think of what must follow.'^ 

Another considered without ceasing the present life as a 
journey which a criminal makes who, hearing his sentence 
read, proceeds from the prison to the place of execution. 

Prayer. 

My God grant that I may never lose sight of the holy 
maxims of faith; that I may consult it without ceasing, and 

that it be the rule of my conduct. 

Twentieth Day. 

"Prudence is necessary in order to be circumspect in our actions, 
and to know how to accommodate ourselves to the disposition of 
others; it unites itself easily with simplicity.'' — St. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint, who possessed the virtue of simplicity in so 
high a degree, regulated his actions in such a manner by 



Simplicity. 1 51 

prudence and charity to his neighbor that he succeeded in 
all he undertook. He was looked upon as the wisest man 
of his time, so much so that he was consulted as an oracle, 
and every one made it a law to follow his counsels. 

Prayer. 

Lord, give me the prudence of the serpent and the sim- 
plicity of the dove. Let Thy divine wisdom make me cir- 
cumspect, and grant that in my words and actions there be 
no duplicity. 



Twenty-first Day. 

Christian prudence consists in judging, speaking, acting as the 
Eternal Wisdom when robed in our mortal nature judged, spoke, 
and acted, and in governing one's self in every circumstance accord- 
ing to the maxims of faith, not according to the false sentiments 
of the world, or according to the weak light of its understanding. — 
8i. Vincent de Paul, 

St. Francis of Sales was the sworn enemy of human pru- 
dence. ^^If I came again into the world/' said he, "with 
the same sentiments I now possess, nothing could make 
me doubt this truth, that the wisdom of the flesh and of 
the children of the world is a chimera, a great folly/' 

St. Vincent de Paul consulted only Christian prudence; 
he never undertook anything of importance^ gave no an- 
swer, gave no counsel before fixing his eyes upon Jesus 
Christ, so that he might fiiid in His conduct and maxims 
help to guide him in his determination. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will no longer regulate my conduct by the 
false maxims of the world, nor by the light of its under- 
standing. Jesus, Who art eternal wisdom, I will judge 
of things as Thou didst judge, speak the same language, 
and act for the same end. 



152 July. 

Twenty-second Day. 

Let us beware of human sentiments, lest, under the pretext of 
zeal and the glory of God, they make us form plans and undertake 
things for the glory of God which do no: come from God and are 
an obstacle to His blessing falling upon us. These sentiments are 
very much opposed to Christian simplicity. — 8t. Vincent de Paul. 

The Superior of a House of the Mission having written to 
the saint that he thought it advisable to give missions at 
first on the estates of persons of considerable importance, 
thinking by so doing to gain their good-will, the saint re- 
plied: "Your design appears to me human, and contrary 
to Christian simplicity. God preserve us from doing any- 
thing with so base a motive! Divine Goodness never asks 
us to do good to be esteemed, but to refer all our actions 
to Him alone." 

He wished his missionaries and ecclesiastics to preach 
solidly but with simplicity. "To enter into the sentiments 
of our divine Saviour,'^ said he, "we should not seek our 
own glory, but that of our heavenly Father. By speaking 
with the intention of imitating Him, He speaks by our 
mouth, and we serve as the instruments of His mercy, 
which penetrates the most hardened hearts and converts 
the most rebellious spirits.^^ 

Prai/er. 
My divine Saviour, bless the resolution which I take to 
form no project, undertake no work without fixing my 
eyes upon Thee, imploring Thy assistance, and consulting 
Thy maxims and examples. 

Twenty-third Day. 

We love ourselves too much, we act with too much human pru- 
dence, consulting too rarely our faith. How great is our folly ! 
How great a wrong we do ourselves in thus acting I It is not thus 
that the saints have conducted themselves.— aS^. Teresa. 

St. Francis Xavier, upon going to India, was given the 
title of Apostolic Legate; nevertheless, during the voyage, 



Simplicity. 153 

while on the vessel, he would not permit any one to wash 
his linen, considering it no abasement to do it himself. 
Some one remarked to him that it was degrading to his 
dignity. He replied : " There is but one thing which is vile 
and unworthy of a Christian : it is sin. '^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may never forget this sentence: 
There is nothing vile but sin. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

When you have to deal with persons who have no simplicity, the 
best means to win them to God is to treat them with much frank- 
ness and simplicity, because this is the spirit of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ. He who is destined to glorify Our Saviour must act with 
this spirit. — SL Vincent de Paul, 

The saint, upon giving a charge to one of his priests, said 
to him: ^^ You are going to a country where it is said the 
people are noted for artifice and dissimulation. If they are 
such, the best means to gain them to God will be to act 
with great simplicity. The maxims of the Gospel are en- 
tirely opposed to those of the world ; therefore, going to 
them in the service of God, you should act according to 
the spirit of the Son of God, which is full of uprightness 
and sincerity.^' Some time after establishing in this prov- 
ince a house of the congregation, he placed over it a Supe- 
rior whose character shone with frankness and candor. He 
loved with much tenderness those who possessed in a high 
degree the virtue of simplicity. 

Prayer. 

my divine Saviour, fill me with Thy spirit; grant that 
I may never speak or act contrary to it. 



154 y^^- 



Twenty-fifth Day. 

Simple souls fly all by-ways which may lead them from God. May 
God preserve us from flatteriug, praising, or doing anything to attract 
the notice or protection of any one! These motives are too unworthy 
and too far from the spirit of Jesus Christ and of His love, which 
should be the principle of all we do. These should be our maxims: 
to do all for the love of God, and not to desire the esteem of men; to 
work for their salvation, without troubling ourselves with what they 
may say. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

'^ I seek but the kingdom of God; I desire only to write 
my name in the book of the elect. To please God, to please 
but Him, this is my only ambition/^ said a servant of God. 

It was with inexpressible admiration that the people of 
Antioch listened to the sermons of St. John Chrysostom. 
Interrupted often by the acclamations and applause of the 
people, which for him, on account of his humility, was very 
painful, he said to them : '^ Of what use is all your applaud- 
ing? I do not need either your applause or this tumult. 
I do not seek to please you, but to convert you. The only 
thing I desire is that, after listening peacefully and under- 
standing these truths, you will faithfully practise them. 
This is all the applause I expect of you; it is the only praise 
I desire.'^ 

Prayer, 
My God, I will do all for Thy love, without desiring the 
esteem of men. It matters little if they are pleased. If I 
have the happiness to please Thee, I will be content; I have 
only this ambition. 

Twenty- SIXTH Day. 

If it happen that you sometimes fail in a point, what you should 
then do is to acknowledge with sincerity your fault; and if you are 
asked to do something that you are ignorant of, you must with sim- 
plicity say so. Leave deceit to the wise of this world. — St, Vincent 
de Paul. 

This saint practised what he preached to others. When- 
ever he forgot to do what he had promised, he acknowledged 



Simplicity, 155 

with frankness that he had forgotten. Whenever he was 
asked to interest himself for any person, he refused if the 
affair did not seem just to him, giving the reason for his 
refusal. Different persons who thought they were indebted 
to him for certain favors thanked him for the service they 
thought he had rendered them, but he undeceived them. 
The enemy of untruth and dissimulation, he was accustomed 
to say that he always congratulated himself upon telling 
things as they were. 

Prayer, 
My God, give me a great horror of lies and dissimulation. 
Let me die rather than lie. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

It is the nature of the dove to do all for his mate. When she is 
hatching, she leaves to him the care of all that she needs. O delicious 
law ! to do nothing but for God, and to please Him, and to repose 
entirely in Him \—8t. Francis of Sales. 

St. Vincent de Paul was continually working for the 
glory of God, and providing for the needs of his neighbor 
for the glory of God, without thinking of his own interests 
or those of his congregation, whose success he had placed 
entirely in the hands of God. 

St. Jane Frances, according to St. Francis of Sales, might 
be compared to those doves that bathe and regard them- 
selves m the brooks, beautifying themselves not so much to 
be beautiful, as to please their mates which they love. She 
sought not to purify herself for the sake of being pure and 
adorned with virtue; she did all to please Our Saviour, 
Whom she loved. She wished to please Him to so great 
an extent that, if ugliness were as agreeable to the eyes 
of her divine Spouse as beauty, she would not have loved 
beauty more than ugliness. 

Prayer, 
My God, I will do all for Thee, to please Thee, and to 
rest in Thee. 1 wish to please Thee because I love Thee. 



156 July. 



Twenty-eighth Day. 

There is a certain simplicity of heart in which consists the perfec- 
tion of all perfection. It is when our soul, regarding God alone 
applies itself simply and with much fidelity to accomplish His rules, 
and to follow the means of sanctification He has prescribed, without 
desiring or undertaking any other. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. Jane Frances excellently practised this kind of sim- 
plicity. She earnestly desired to see it implanted and take 
root in the hearts of her daughters. One of her daughters 
asked her in a letter the best means to perfection. The saint 
replied: " The best means I can give you is to apply your- 
self to observe very faithfully your rule^ for the love of 
God^ and to execute exactly^ through the same spirit, all 
that you will be commanded at different times.^^ 

'' Being on the eve of appearing before God, to render an 
account of my works, that which consoles me most is that 
I have been exact to observe my rule, with a view to please 
Him,^^ said a dying religious whom the Church honors as a 
saint. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that I may become perfect in all things, 
particularly in simplicity, in charity. I would always please 
Thee by accomplishing Thy holy will. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

Oh, how one should love the generous resolution of desiring to 
imitate the hidden and common life of Our Saviour Jesus Christ I 
This thought comes from God, since it is so far removed from the 
flesh and the senses. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

A person who aimed at perfection asked a holy priest, who 
was very enlightened, the means to arrive there. He said: 
^^Live continually in union with Jesus Christ, without do- 
ing anything extraordinary exteriorly. ^^ She followed his 
counsel and made rapid progress in the paths of God. She 
proposed Jesus Christ as her model in all she did. When 



Simplicity. 1 5 7 

she awoke, she represented to herself Our Saviour offering 
Himself to His Father, and offered herself with Him. In 
her prayers, she imagined Our Saviour praying with an in- 
finite fervor; she endeavored to enter into His dispositions. 
At work, she thought of Our Saviour giving Himself to the 
great work of our salvation. If she was ordered to do any- 
thing, she hastened to obey, thinking of Jesus submissive to 
Mary and Joseph. In assisting at Mass, she sacrificed her- 
self in spirit with Our Saviour. In her conversations, she 
thought of Jesus Christ, Whose conversation was so mild and 
so edifying. When she suffered, she recollected that Jesus 
was a Man of sorrows. On taking her rest, she whispered 
these words: ^^0 my Father, into Thy hands I place my 
soul.^^ 

Prayer, 
My divine Saviour, give me a great desire to imitate Thy 
hidden and common life. Grant that I may live continu- 
ally in union with Thee. I will take Thee for a model in 
all I do. 

Thirtieth Day. 

The virtue of simplicity, which all love in others, is very useful to 
those who are destined to instruct their neighbor. They should 
continually labor to divest themselves of self, and to clothe them- 
selves in Jesus Christ. If they are not animated with the spirit of 
Jesus Christ, wl\at can they do ? They will teach rather the sem- 
blance of virtue than the substance.— /S^. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint endeavored constantly to divest himself of self, 
and to invest himself with Jesus Christ. He sought to 
conform himself to Him, not only in his exterior, in his 
manner, but still more in all his interior dispositions, in 
his desires, his maxims, and his intentions. He desired 
nothing but what Jesus Christ desired; that is, that God 
be known, loved, and glorified, and that His holy will be 
perfectly accomplished in him. 

A holy priest said often to himself, in order to animate 
himself to imitate Our Saviour: ^^I ought to be another 
Jesus Christ ; am I another Jesus Christ V 



158 July. 

Prayer. 

My adorable Saviour, teach me not to belong to myself, 
but to Thee. Grant that I be animated by Thy spirit. I 
desire to be like Thee in disposition, desires, intentions. 

Thirty- FIRST Day. 

God is a being very simple. This is why, if we desire to make our- 
selves, as far as it is possible, like to Him, we should endeavor to be by 
virtue what God is by nature ; that is, to have a heart simple, a mind 
simple, an intention simple, a manner simple, a language simple; to 
walk honestly, without artifice, with an exterior conformable to our 
interior, regarding God alone in all our actions, Whom alone we 
should desire to please.— /S^. Vincent de Paul. 

A worthy priest, wishing to profit by this advice of St. 
Vincent de Paul, wrote the following resolution, which he 
often read : 

In order to possess a simple heart, I will examine several 
times during the day whether there is any disorderly affec- 
tion in my heart; I will renounce the seven capital sins 
and say to my God, Thou art tlie God of my heart. Thou 
art my God and my All. 

In order to have simplicity of heart, I will never con- 
demn anyone, being edified at all the good I see, excusing 
the intention of those who do ill. 

In order to have a simple intention, I will propose in the 
beginning of my actions a supernatural motive. 

I will avoid in my manner of speaking, in my walk, my 
actions, my exterior, all that is opposed to simplicity and 
modesty. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that all in me be simple — my heart, 
my mind, my manner, my language. In all my actions 
I will regard only Thee, I will desire only to please Thee. 



AUGUST. 

THe Sanctification of Otjir Actions. 

'* J3e hath done all things welV^—ST, Matt. vii. 37. 

First Day. 

We are what our works are. According as our works are good 
or bad, we are good or bad ; for we are the trees, and our works 
the fruit. It is by the fruit one judges of the quality of the tree. — 
8t. Augustin, 

A servant of God who was near his last end exclaimed : 
" I know now perfectly what is most essential towards be- 
coming holy and saving our souls. It is to do all our actions 
well for the love of God.^^ 

St. Bonaventure animated himself as well as others to 
give themselves to all kinds of good works by often repeat- 
ing this maxim : ^^ We lose as much glory in an hour passed 
in idleness as we would have gained in an hour spent in 
good works. ^^ 

In a little book belonging to St. Louis Gonzaga was found 
this resolution written by his own hand^ which he had taken 
and which he kept : ^' I will place all my care in doing 
my actions well^ that they may bring me to God/^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I will neglect nothing to do as perfectly as pos- 
sible all my actions. I wish that there be none which is not 
agreeable to Thee, and desire them to merit heaven for m,e, 

J59 



i6o August. 



Second Day. 

It does Dot suffice to do good things. We must do more; we must 
do them well, after the example of Jesus Christ, of Whom it is 
written: He liatli done all things well. Let us, then, study to perform 
all our actions in the spirit of Jesus Christ ; that is, in the manner 
He performed His actions, proposing to ourselves the same end ; 
otherwise, every work, good perhaps in itself, will bring upon us 
punishment rather than rewards. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. John Berclimans performed all his actions in the 
manner^ time, and place^ and for the end he should do 
them^ that it might be said of each one of his actions, Be- 
hold an action perfectly done ! 

St. Ignatius perceiving that a Brother of his society acted 
with much negligence, asked him for whom he performed 
his actions. The Brother replied that he performed them 
for God. ^^If you performed them for man, the evil would 
not be so great ; but what disorder to act in the manner you 
do, working for so great a iLaster as God I^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may do all things well ; that I may 
do them in the spirit of my Saviour, for the same end. 
Grant me the grace to perform them with exactitude and 
fervor. 

Third Day. 

Many persuade themselves that they have no true sorrow for their 
sins if they do not practise corporal austerities. Let us learn, never- 
theless, that he does a good penance who studies to please God. It 
is a very perfect thing and of great merit. — St. Francis of Sales. 

We do not read that St. Francis of Sales and other great 
saints continually afflicted their bodies by rude penances. 
They arrived at sanctity by devoting themselves to the 
sanctification of all their actions; they did all they believed 
Our Lord asked of them in the most perfect manner pos- 
sible. 

St. John Berchmans, that servant of God who labored 



The Sa7ictification of our Actions, i6i 

continually to become a saint by performing in the most 
perfect manner possible his ordinary actions, had taken 
for his motto this sentence, which he studied frequently: 
Poeiiitentia maxima vita communis, " My greatest penance 
is the ordinary life/^ 

Prayer, 
Thou exactest, my God, that I do penance for so many 
sins of which I have been guilty. The penance to which I 
will devote myself will be to perform well all my actions, 
with the intention of pleasing Thee. An ordinary life 
which I will not lead in an ordinary manner — such shall 
be my penance. 

Fourth Day. 

If men only knew in what manner Our Lord will recompense in 
the other world the good we do here, our understanding, our mem- 
ory, and our will would be occupied only with good works, no mat- 
ter what it might cost to perform them. — Bt. Gatliarine of Genoa. 

A person who had made great sacrifices for God soon after 
experienced inexpressible consolations. She exclaimed: 
^^ If the Lord is so sweet to mortals who do a little for His 
love, what must be the happiness of the saints in para- 
dise P 

St. Francis of Assisi, during a time of suffering, said: 
'' The good that I desire and that I hope for with con- 
fidence is so great that torments are for me a delight.^^ 

'^ The saints who are in heaven would willingly consent, 
if it were possible for them, to suffer horribly until the day 
of judgment, to be able to procure for themselves the recom- 
pense of one Hail Mary recited with devotion/^ said one 
of them. 

Prayer. 
My God, I will avoid what is evil, that is, sin. I will do 
all the good Thou requirest, that Thou desirest of me, and 
I will do it well. I will do what I know to be most per- 
fect^ in Thy love, with love, and for love. 



1 62 August. 



Fifth Day. 

Study not to appear singular, but to be truly so. We become so 
by leading a common life, but not in a common manner. One must 
do what is required very exactly, that is, in the place, manner, and 
the time prescribed. We must do for God common things in the 
most perfect mauuer. Not to be singular in the exterior, to be so 
interiorly, this is a great virtue, a treasure. — St. Bernard. 

It was a beautiful enlogy on this saint when it was said 
of him that he was not ordinary in ordinary actions. Erat 
in ordinaris, non ordinarius, Grace was the piinciple of 
his actions, charity the motive; he performed them in the 
presence of God, animated with great fervor. 

There could be no one more punctual than St. Francis 
of Sales, not only in public, on the altar, or in the choir, 
where he observed with most perfect fidelity the least ^ 
ceremonies, but particularly when he recited the divine 
office, or acquitted himself of his other duties. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I be agreeable to Thee in all my 
actions. I will do none unless grace be the principle and 
charity the motive. I will do all in Thy presence, prac- 
tising interior mortification and zeal for souls. 

Sixth Day. 

Do not be of those who place their perfection in undertaking 
many things, but of those whose devotion consists in doing well the 
little they do. It is much better to do little and do it well than to 
do many things and do them illy. Yes, little and good, little and 
good, this is best. Then let us study not to multiply our exercises, 
but to do more perfectly those we already perform.— /S'^. Francis of 
Sales. 

A great director repeated this maxim unceasingly: 
Short prayers said with devotion are more agreeable to 
God, and more useful to him who says them, than long 
prayers said without devotion and Avith negligence. It i§ 



The Sanctification of our Actions. 163 

a good thing in itself to pray a long time^ but we must 
pray devoutly all the time we pray. 

A saint whose parents gave her the lowest offices in the 
house to perform, and gave her no leisure to perform any 
exercises of piety, was nevertheless very agreeable to God, 
because she walked in His holy presence and dwelt in a 
manner in His heart, ceasing not to make holy aspirations. 

Prayer. 

Thou art my Saviour and my God. How guilty will I not 
be if, serving so good and so great a Master, I do not 
always act for Thee, or if I perform with negligence the 
actions I do for Thee. 

Seventh Day. 

Our Lord does not measure our perfection by the number and 
greatness of the works we do, but by the manner in which we do 
them; and this manner is the love with which and by which we 
perform them. Actions are more perfect according as the love with 
which they are performed is more pure and more perfect. — SU John 
of the Cross. 

" Love God and do that which love will tell you,^^ Ama 
etfac quod vis, said St. Augustin. 

St. Francis Borgia did not always preach according to 
the liking of his audience, neither in the subjects he 
treated nor the manner of addressing them. Nevertheless, 
he never preached without much fruit, because it was 
purely for God that he announced the divine word. 

A person who desired to perform all her actions for the 
love of God began them by making upon herself the sign 
of the cross, saying : In the name and for the love of the 
Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Yes, my 
God, such is my intentio7i. 

Prayer. 

My God, I offer Thee the action that I do. I desire to 
do it, as well as all the other actions of my life, for love, 



164 August, 

pure love. Grant that this may be the motive which ani- 
mates every one in all his actions. 

Eighth Day. 

To do well our actions, we must perform them with a very pure 
intention and a very decided and joyous will to please God alone. 
This is the body, the soul of our actions; it is this that gives them their 
value, which makes them easy and agreeable. — St. Francis of Sales, 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi did not cease to recommend to 
the novices in her charge to offer to God even their most 
indifferent actions ; and in order that they might be faithful, 
from time to time she asked them this question : '^ For what 
end do you perform this action V^ When the one she in- 
terrogated replied that she did it without a supernatural 
intention, she would say: ^^Do you not see that by acting 
thus you lose the merit ? God is not honored nor satisfied 
with such actions. ^^ 

The abbot Pampon, perceiving a courtier superbly at- 
tired, could not restrain a sigh nor refrain from shedding 
tears. He was asked the reason. He replied: "Unfor- 
tunate that I am ! it would be well for me did I desire 
with such ardor to please God as this creature desires to 
please men.^^ 

Prayer. 

my God, what folly not to do all our actions in a manner 
that will render them meritorious for us! The means is to 
perform them with much love and purely for love of God. 

Ninth Day. 

It is upon our actions, but particularly our ordinary actions, that 
our perfection depends, because they are the most numerous. If we , 
perfoi-m them perfectly we will be perfect. Why is it that of two 
religious who perform the same things, one is an excellent religious, 
the other is not? It is because one does ordinary things perfectly, 
the other imperfectly and negligently. — Bodriguez. 

When St. Gertrude was young she performed only the 
same duties as her companions; she even did less, because, 



The Sanctijication of our Actions. 165 

on account of her health, she was not permitted to keep 
every point of the rule to which the others were bound. 
But what made her more agreeable in the eyes of God was 
that she did all with more perfection. 

Prayer, 

my Saviour, I desire to do perfectly all that I do. Let 
it be Thou who thinketh in me, speaketh in me. I unite 
all my works to Thine; give me a part in Thy merits. 



Tenth Day. 

Among ordinary actions, those to which we should give most 
attention are the spiritual. These actions regard God more directly, 
and conduct more efficaciously to perfection. If we do otherwise, 
we bring upon ourselves the threatened malediction of the Holy 
Ghost against those who do the work of God negligently. — St, Yin- 
cent de Paul. 

Although this saint was in charge of many different 
affairs, he arranged his time in such a manner as never to 
fail in his exercises of piety. He performed them with 
great devotion and fervor, because he did them in the pres- 
ence of God, and for love of Him, — those actions which 
might in themselves be capable of distracting him. 

Prayer. 

My God, I would wish to say, in all my actions, that I 
love Thee, that I repent for not having always loved Thee. 
I would die for sorrow, because, instead of loving Thee, I 
have loved the world and its vanities. I would that I might 
love Thee as much as Thou deservest to be loved. I will 
never cease to love Thee nor to ask for Thy love. 



1 66 August. 



Eleventh Day. 

Among all the functions which a priest can perform, the Mass cer- 
tainly is the most excellent, the most holy, the most saintly, the most 
agreeable to God, and the mj^st useful. If we could but understand 
with what profound devotion the angels assist thereat ! Ah, what 
then should be the purity of the priest who celebrates ! What should 
be his attention, his devotion ! He should approach the altar with 
the same sentiments as Jesus Christ. He should be as an angel. He 
should exercise his divine ministry as a saint. He should offer the 
vows of the people as a pontiff. He should not be satisfied to per- 
form the office of mediator between God and man; he should still 
more pray for him, remembering that he is man, and a sinful man. 
— St. Laurence Justinian, 

The venerable John of Avila, seeing a priest say the holy 
Mmss with indecent haste, was much pained. Touched 
with zeal, he approached this undevout priest and said in 
a low voice, but in a tone capable of moving the priest: 
'^ Sir, I beg of you to treat the only Son of God, in Whose 
presence you are, as you would treat the only son of a person 
whom you considered worthy of some distinction/^ 

" I prepare myself for the holy sacrifice of the Mass/^ said 
the Bishop of Amiens, Monseigneur D^Orleans, ^^as I would 
prepare myself to appear before the tribunal of Jesus 
Christ/^ 

St. Ignatius Loyola offered, the August Sacrifice with 
such devotion that he was often seen to be in tears. 

St. Vincent de Paul said Mass with so great modesty, 
so much gravity, such tenderness and piety, that his assist- 
ants were deeply touched. Many persons who assisted at 
his Mass, and who did not know him^ were heard to say on 
leaving the church: ^^That is a priest who says Mass so 
devoutly that he must be a saint. ^^ 

A priest who was called the Angel of the mission^ during 
a mission which was given at Tulle, undertook to convert a 
gentleman who was imbued with wrong ideas of religion, 
and who had not been to confession for years. After many 
conversations, all he could obtain of him was a promise to 



The Sandification of our Actions, 167 

serve his Mass. The modesty, religion, and devotion of the 
missionary so struck him that he could no longer resist; he 
became a sincere convert. 

Prayer. 
My God, it is particularly in the holy Mass I will say that 
I love Thee. I will neglect nothing in order to be pene- 
trated with the sentiments of Jesus Christ. I will praise 
and thank God with Him. I will immolate myself with 
Him. I will not forget that I am Thy victim — a victim 
devoted to Thy glory, who should sacrifice himself without 
ceasing for Thee. 

Twelfth Day. 

The Divine Office is one of the most excellent of actions. In re- 
citing it we celebrate the praises of God, which is the ministry which 
belongs to the angels. We should not then acquit ourselves of this 
duty through habit and without piety, but with all the devotion and 
religion of which we are capable. — St. Magdalene of Pazzi. 

This saint could not hear the signal for recitation of the 
Divine Office without being filled with joy. 

It sufficed for Father Suarez to take in his hands his bre- 
viary to be plunged in recollection. 

A holy religious always said at the commencement of 
each psalm: Pater ccelestis^ du mihi spiritiimy ^'Heavenly 
Father, fill me with Thy spirit.'' 

St. Bonaventure, during this time, imagined that he was 
among the angels and was one of their choir. 

A very worthy priest never commenced the Office before 
renouncing the capital sins and all distractions, and after 
having made an act of contrition and of the love of God. 
He offered it for some special end, renewing his intention 
at the end of each psalm m pronouncing Gloria Patri. 
He said interiorly, " 1 love Thee," at these words: Dominns, 
Den.^, Jesus. After the recitation of his Office lie thanked 
God for the graces he hnd received, asked pardon for the 
faults he had committed, and finished by these words; 
^^Psallam spintu, psallain et mente.'' 



1 68 Aiigiist. 

Another religious had an excellent practice against vol- 
untary distractions. She imagined to herself her angel 
guardian on one side of her^ who wrote down all the verses 
she recited with devotion^ on the other side the demon, 
who listened attentively to note down all the distractions 
and indevotions of which she was guilty. 

St. Catharine of Bologna said: ^^Is it possible to be in the 
midst of the angels, to sing psalms with them, and then to 
have voluntary distractions, to have the heart attached to 
the things of earth V^ 

Prayer. 

My God, teach me to praise Thee ; grant that I may 
praise Thee worthily. 1 will unite my praises to all the just 
of the earth and the saints of heaven. It is by Jesus Christ, 
with Jesus Christ, and like Jesus Christ that I would praise 
Thee on all occasions, in all my works. 

Thirteenth Day. 

The examination of conscience which all pious persons are in the 
habit of making every night before taking their rest is a great 
help, not only to conquer our evil inclinations, but to acquire virtue 
and to perform our ordinary actions well. It is not so much to dis- 
cover the faults of which we have been guilty during the day that 
we make this examen as to conceive a lively sorrow for them, and 
to form the resolution not to fall again into them, and to do penance 
for them. — Blessed John of Avila, 

The pagan philosophers understood how eflficacious was 
the examination of conscience. St. Jerome relates of Py- 
thagoras that, among the lessons which this philosopher 
taught his disciples, one of the principal ones was that 
twice during the day they determined upon a time, morn- 
ing and evening, in which to ask themselves these three 
questions: "What have I done? How have I done it? 
Have I done all that I should do T' 

All the masters of the spiritual life have dwelt upon the 
advantages of this examination, and St. Ignatius Loyola 
preferred it even to prayer, for the reason that by this ex- 



The Sanctification of our Actions. 169 

amination we discover the fruit that we derive from prayer. 
He said that if he had made any progi'ess in virtue^ he owed 
it to the fidelity with which he had practised this exercise. 
^^I do not recollect/^ said a holy religious, " that the devil 
has twice efficaciously tempted me to commit the samefault/^ 
Because in the examination which he made he conceived so 
great a horror for his sins that no temptation, no matter 
how strong, was capable of making him fall again. 

Prayer, 
My God, I desire after each action to throw a glance over 
myself. Have I done as I ought ? Have I tried to do right ? 
Pardon, Lord. I offer Thee the action I am going to do. I 
will do my best. Help me with Thy grace. 

Fourteenth Day. 

The sun and the moon praise God, according to the prophet; but 
how can these stars praise Him ? It is by doing the good the Lord 
commands them to do, in doing this they render Him great praise. 
Here, then, is an excellent manner of praising God all day. Do all 
the good you are commanded to do ; all that you do, let it be well 
done. — 8t Jerome. 

A virtuous girl who was a servant in a respectable house 
gave great edification by the promptitude, exactness, and 
joy with which she obeyed in all that was asked of her. 
One day, while sweeping an apartment with much care, she 
seemed to be in deep distress. A gentleman, who saw her 
in passing, remarked : " What is it that gives you pain ? 
Has anything been said to you to wound you ?^' " No, sir,^^ 
she replied, "every one in the house gives me every mark 
of kindness, more than I deserve. I will tell you. I at- 
tended a mission once. The missionary gave me a practice 
of piety which I have never forgotten. I try to be faithful to 
it. ' My daughter,' said he, 'do all that is commanded yoiv 
to do as perfectly as you can; for the love of God and during 
the time you do this humble yourself as much as you canJ' 
When I sweep, I do it to please my Saviour, considering 
that the one who commands me holds His place. In doing 



170 August. 

this, I say to myself, it would be well for me if I had as 
much zeal to purify my heart of its sins as I have to make 
this room clean. This is why I weep/^ The gentleman 
was touched, and edified those to whom he related it. 

Prayer. 
My God, I will constantly do all that Thou askest, and 
how Thou askest. I will do this for Thy love, and will not 
cease to humble myself. 

Fifteenth Day. 

Be careful lest you think the time lost that you give to acquit 
yourself perfectly of your employment. It is very agreeable to God 
to leave our exercises of piety which are not of obligation, when duty 
calls us elsewhere. — St. Teresa, 

There was in the monastery of which St. Bernard was 
abbot a religious who was remarkable for his fidelity to 
every point of the Eule. During the time of a spiritual 
reading upon obedience, St. Bernard told this religious to 
leave the exercise and go to assist some one who then re- 
quired his aid. The religious showed some repugnance to 
do so. '' The Rule,^^ said he, in a voice loud enough to be 
heard by all, '^ demands that we make the spiritual reading, 
and that it be done now. Must we not observe the Rule V 
The saint only said in reply: ^^My Brother, is it not to 
teach you to obey that you have had a reading upon obe- 
dience T' 

A young lady who was in a convent desired ardently to 
become a religious. She acquainted her parents with her 
wishes. Instead of consenting, they compelled her to return 
to her home. Her piety was truly solid. " I will be a relig- 
]ous in the world, since I cannot be one in the convent," said 
she. She followed as closely as possible all the exercises of a 
person consecrated to God. A certain part of the time she 
gave to work, but she had a part reserved for meditation, 
another for reciting tlie D'vine Office, the beads, the spirit- 
ual reading, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, etc. Her moth- 



The Sanctification of our Actions. 1 7 1 

er, seeing her only more confirmed in her resolution instead 
of growing indifferent^ gave her so many occupations each 
day that she no longer found time for her exercises. This 
is how this servant of God conducted herself : to obey her 
mother constantly as if it were God; to do all in a spirit of 
faith and love; to make at certain times a number of aspira- 
tions. Within her own heart was an oratory, where she 
was always in prayer even in the time of most distracting 
occupations. In this manner was every virtue so deeply 
implanted in her heart that in time, when she had per- 
mission to enter religion, she performed miracles, and after 
her death the Church placed her in the ranks of those she 
honors as saints. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant me grace to perform all my actions with a 
spirit of love and faith, to make without ceasing aspira- 
tions, to make of my heart an oratory where I will be in 
perpetual adoration. 

Sixteenth Day. 

Do not fear that those occupations which come under the rule of 
obedience, no matter how great or how multiplied they may be, can 
be a hindrance to union with God. If they are performed in the 
presence of God and for His glory, on the contrary, they unite one 
more intimately with God; for how can that which unites our will 
with God's keep us afar from Him? — 8t, Francis of Sales. 

Exterior occupations were not for St. Magdalene of Pazzi 
an obstacle to recollection; they were not even a cause of 
distraction. ^^It is the same to me,^^ she said one day, 
" whether I am ordered to go to pray with my Sisters in the 
choir or to do some manual labor. Oftentimes I have found 
more of God in work than in prayer.^' 

A Brother who was cook in a convent of Franciscans 
was in the habit, when his work was finished, to retire 
to pray. Our Lord then inundated his soul with most deli- 
cious consolations., At last, in order to continunlly enjoy 
this great happiness, he asked his Superior to relieve him 



I "J 2 August. 

of his employment^ which, he said, was so dissipating. The 
Superior consented. But now, in giving himself up to prayer, 
which had before for him so many attractions and in which 
he had tasted so much sweetness, he found nothing but 
dryness and distraction. Made wise by experience, he 
went with simplicity to his Superior, made known to him 
the state of his soul, returned to his employment, and Our 
Lord made him understand, as before, how sweet He is to 
those whose nourishment is the accomplishment of His 
will. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that all my actions may unite me more 
intimately with Thee. I will do all in Thy presence, for 
Thy glory and love. 

Seventeenth Day. 

Little actions are great when they are well done. A little action 
done for the glory of God, with a great desire to please Him, is 
more agreeable to Him than a great one performed with less fervor. 
We must, then, study especially to do well little things which are so 
easy, and which off er themselves at every moment, if we would grow 
in the friendship of God.— /S^. Francu of Sales. 

St. Ignatius once said of an excellent Christian, who was 
a mason, that he made as many crowns in heaven as he 
placed stones and gave strokes of the hammer, because of 
the purity of his intention and the great love which ani- 
mated all his work. 

St. Francis Xavier was particularly attentive to do well 
little things. He used to say: ^^He who does not labor to 
excel in small things will never excel in great ones.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may strive to excel in small things, 
by doing the least action with a great desire to please Thee. 



The Sanctification of our Actions, 173 



Eighteenth Day. 

One Pater nosier said from the depths of the heart is of more value 
in the eyes of God than a great number of prayers said with haste 
and without attention.— /S'^. Teresa, 

A great sinner having confessed his sins, and being pene- 
trated with a deep sorrow, his confessor imposed a penance 
in proportion to the greatness and number of his faults. 
This penance, which to another would seem great, appeared 
to him so light that he exclaimed: " What, my Father, for so 
many and so frightful sins so mild a penance! You forget/^ 
The confessor, diminishing it, said to him: ^^ You will only 
recite once the seven penitential psalms, entering into the 
sentiments of the prophet/^ " my Father,^^ replied the 
penitent, "I did not ask you to lessen the penance ; I beg 
that you will, on the contrary, increase it. I would wish to do 
penance in this world rather than in the next.^^ The con- 
fessor paid no attention to his pleadings, but finished by 
saying: ^^I relieve you from the obligation of reciting the 
seven psalms. I impose no other penance than an act of 
contrition and of the love of God, which you will make 
before the altar. ^^ This true penitent, upon leaving the 
confessional, said: ^^ Only an act of contrition and an act 
of the love of God. What a penance for sins so terrible !^^ 
He made these acts and died. May we not say he died of 
contrition and of love ? delicious death ! 

David said, Peccavi, and he was justified the same moment. 
We have pronounced these words a million times, as often 
as we have said the confiteor. Have they produced in us 
the same effect ? 

Prayer. 

My God, I desire to make no prayer that does not come 
from the heart. Give me a love of prayer, a spirit of 
prayer. 



174 August. 

Nineteenth Day. 

He who has not experienced it cannot understand how important 
it is to our sanctification to be attentive and not to be unfaithful in 
little things. The demon makes use of this means to make us unfaith- 
ful in great ones. — St. Teresa. 

St. Laurence Justinian was more attentive •to avoid fail- 
ing in small things than in more considerable faults. He 
gave as a reason that when we have a horror of small sins, 
we have a horror also for giTater ones. It suflBces to have 
faith, and not to be deprived of sense, to fly those sins which 
make us worthy of eternal damnation; but it belongs to the 
servants of God to fear more than death little sins. He 
who fears God, said the Holy Ghost, neglects nothing, omits 
nothing. 

There are communities, like that of the Trappists, where 
a religious, if he be gnilty of a great fault, is punished very 
lightly, if at all; but they do not spare those who fail in 
little things. Spiritual advantage particularly demands it. 
It is the great means of preserving in a house religious 
regularity. 

Prayer, 
My God, I take the resolution to be faithful in little 
things. I will be faithful in them so that I may not fall 
into greater, and to show that I love Thee. 

Twentieth Day. 

Think of God during the time that you are occupied. If He aban- 
dons you, you cannot make a step without falling. Imitate little 
children, who with one hand cling to their mother, while they do as 
they will with the other. In all your actions turn yourself from 
time to time towards your heavenh' Father, to see if that which 
you do is pleasing to Him, and to implore His help. You will do 
better what you have to do. and you will hud that easy which before 
was difficult. Represent to yourself 31aiy, using one hand to work 
while with the other she holds the Divine InidiViX.— Si. Francis of Saks. 

Durinor the time that St. Maofdalene of Pazzi was ex- 

teriorly occupied it seorr^ied -aid lier companions, that it 



The Sanctification of our Actions, 175 

was only her body that acted, and that her soul was more 
united to Him Whom she loved than to the body which it 
animated. 

When St. Vincent de Paul was engaged in any business, 
even the most intricate, his conversation seemed to be more 
in heaven with God than on earth with men. 

Some one, seeing a poor woman weeping while cooking, 
asked, ^"^ Why do you weep T^ '' Have I not just reason for 
tears ?^^ said she. " It takes but a little fire to cook these 
vegetables, while neither the perfections of God, which are 
infinite, nor His benefits, which are innumerable, are ca- 
pable of filling my heart with the fire of love for Him/^ 

Prayer, 
My God, grant me grace to converse with Thee at all 
times, even in occupations the most dissipating. It is but 
just that my soul be as united to Thee as it is to my body. 

Twenty-first Day. 

One of the great obstacles to the well-doing of our actions is that 
while we do one thing we think of another that we have done or 
that we are yet to do. The manner of doing each action well is to 
give attention only to the one we are actually performing, doing it as 
perfectly as we can, and when it is done think no more of it, lest it 
prevent us from occupying ourselves well with what we have on 
hand.— e7(?M of Amla. 

Age quod agis, " What thou doest do with all thy heart,^^ 
said a servant of God during all his occupations. " Do it in 
a manner agreeable to God. It may be the last action thou 
wilt perform. This action ought to have great results.^^ 

Another said to himself during his work: ^^ We are here 
to labor; we must, then, labor.^^ While he performed works 
of charity, he would say: ^^I ought to have no other de- 
sire than to implant love of God and of my neighbor in 
all hearts.^' During prayer he said: '^I am here but to 
pray.^^ 

A holy religious, whose Superior had given her charge of 
different occupations, acquitted herself perfectly of all, by 



176 August. 

saying during the time occupied with each one : ^^ I am 
at present only sacristan; I am now only a portress ; I am 
now housekeeper/^ etc., etc. 

Prayer, 
My God, I will give myself entirely to what I am doing, 
in order that I may do it well, thinking that Thou askest 
only that action, and that perhaps it may be the last I shall 
perform. 

Twenty-second Day. 

Do faithfully at all times what Our Lord asks of you, and leave 
to God to think of all other things. I assure you, living in this 
manner you will find great peace. — St. Jane Frances, 

It is thus, said she, that St. Francis of Sales lived when 
he performed an action or was engaged in any affair; he 
gave himself to it as perfectly as if it were the only thing in 
the world. 

St. Gregory of Nazianzen said of his mother that she gave 
herself entirely to what she was doing; consequently she did 
everything marvellously well. 

Prayer, 

I will often say to myself. Perhaps I shall die after this 
action, I shall be judged by this action, I shall be eternally 
punished or rewarded by this action. 

Twenty-third Day. 

A second obstacle to the goodness of our actions is precipitation. 
Look well to this fault, which is a capital enemy of true devotion. No 
action done with precipitation is well done. Those who are travelling 
find it best to go always with an equal step. — St. Francis of Sales. 

St. Philip Neri often said to those whom he directed in 
the paths of salvation: ^' We must not wish to do all in one 
day, nor desire to become a canonized saint in the space of 
a month. Discretion is opposed to it.^^ 

Be self-possessed, said another wise director of con- 
sciences, in all that you do. You will by this avoid many 



The Sanctification of our Actions. 177 

faults. One does that fast enough which is well done, Sat 
cito si sat bene. 

Prayer. 
My God, teach me to be self-possessed. I will moderate 
my haste, my activity in all things, that I may do well what 
I ought to do. I will follow not the movement of nature 
but grace, to offer continually to God some sacrifice. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

The works of God are almost always done little by little; they have 
their commencement and their progress. One must not pretend to 
do all in a moment, in haste, nor think all is lost if one does not be- 
come perfect at once. We must always advance, but without anx- 
iety. Pray much and make use of the means suggested by the 
Holy Ghost, paying no attention to the false maxims of the world. 
— St. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint was very slow to decide upon any matter. 
Nevertheless, his slowness, which to some appeared exces- 
sive, never had any bad results, never injured any affair of 
which he had charge. Every one was surprised to see that 
he succeeded in all he undertook. Still more, at the same 
time that everything prospered with him he acquired treas- 
ures of merit in heaven, because charity animated all that 
he did for his neighbor. 

Prayer. 
My God, make known to me what Thou wilt that I do, 
and give me the courage to do it well. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

Still another obstacle to the well-doing of our actions is trouble 
and solicitude. Great affairs do not distract us so much as small 
ones when these are numerous. This is why we must receive them 
peacefully, striving to do them in order one after the other, without 
anxiety. By so doing, they become for us occasions of much merit. 
— 8t Francis of Sales. 

It was often represented to this saint how many per- 
sons of little consideration occupied so much of his time, 



178 Atcgust. 

and with affairs of no consequence. ^^I know it very well/^ 
replied he, " but what shall I do ? Their little affairs seem to 
them to be great ones, and they desire that I console them. 
Can I refuse? God knows that all occupations are indiffer- 
ent to me so long as they belong to His service. While 
doing this I am not obliged to do anything else, and is it 
not a great work to do the will of God V^ 

'^ He who preserves the sweetness of i^eaoe in a multi- 
plicity of affairs is almost perfect/'^ said the same St. Fran- 
cis of Sales. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may never lose the sweetness of 
peace in the midst of concerns the most dissipating. Let 
me regard the accomplishment of Thy will as the great 
work; let all other occupations be indifferent to me. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

It belongs to the spirit of God to act with sweetness and love, and 
the surest means to succeed in our undertakings is to act in like 
manner. — 8t. Vincent de Paul. 

AYhere we love, nothing is difficult; we are content no 
matter in what condition we may find ourselves. ^^I feel 
much pity for you/^ said a person to a holy man who was 
poor, covered with sores, despised, and oftentimes w^ithout 
the necessaries of life. " I thank you for your sympathy, 
but why do you pity me ?"^ said he. ^* I am not a subject 
of pity. When I have no bread, I fast; I am glad to fast for 
the love of God. When I am insulted and ridiculed, I re- 
joice that in this I resemble Our Saviour, Who was willing 
to suffer the contempt of men. You cannot see all the 
wounds of my body. I would be more afflicted if I did 
not have them, since God wills it. I bless God that I am 
treated like His Son, AYho was bruised from His feet to 
the crown of His head. He does not suffer who loves, 
or who loves what he suffers. I have often heard this. 
Nothing is more true, as I know from experience. Let us 



The Sanctification of our Actions. 179 

suffer and do all for love and we will alwaj^s be content/^ 
She to whom the poor mendicant spoke thus was much 
edified. ^' I will never forget/^ said she, " what he said in 
conclusion : ' I love better this pain in my limb than if 
I possessed a piece of gold/ ^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, give me grace to act always with mildness and 
love, to bless Thee and to rejoice when I have to suffer, 
knowing that it is the will of God and that I am a dis- 
ciple of Jesus crucified. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

That which prevents certain persons from performing their actions 
well is that they would do too much; they overwhelm themselves 
with exercises of piety. The liberty of the children of God consists 
in doing all that one should do joyously, faithfully, and with a good 
heart. — 8t, Francis of Sales. 

This saint once wrote to a person who had more zeal than 
prudence in augmenting practices of piety: ^^If you 
wish to perform each year a greater number of spiritual 
exercises, you must then recite the Divine Office twice a 
day, since you already say it once. You fast twice a week 
now; there will come a time when you will fast seven times, 
and wishing still to increase the number of your fasts, how 
will you be able to fast twice in the same day ? Go slowly. 
You have enough of pious exercises. Perform them with 
more joy, more fervor, and more love and you will make 
progress in virtue. ^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may do all that I ought to do for 
love of Thee, and with fidelity and joy. 



i8o August. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

Among many excellent means that are given to perform our ac- 
tions well, I recommend this to you : To perform each of your ac- 
tions as if it were to be the last one of your life. Ask yourself 
while you do it this question : If I were to die immediately after 
this, would I do it in this manner ? — 8t. Vince?it de Paul. 

A very virtuous priest was in the habit of making his con- 
fession every day immediately before his Mass. He became 
suddenly ill. '' You are very sick/^ they said to him. 
'^ Confess as if you were sure to die now.^^ He made this 
edifying reply : ^^ Thank God^ it is now thirty years since 
I have been confessing each day^, and I have always con- 
fessed as if I were to die immediately after. It will then 
suffice for me now to reconcile myself with God as if I 
were going to say the holy Mass/^ 

Prayer. 

My God^ grant that I may perform each of my actions as 
if it were to be my last. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

One of the great artifices which the demon makes use of to dis- 
courage us and induce us to abandon the service of God is to repre- 
sent to us the extreme difficulty, the impossibility even, of observing 
faithfully and during many years the law of God, of being contin- 
ually tempted and never to yield to temptation. A very good means 
to assist us in not being overcome by this reflection is to think that 
we have but one day to live, that at the end of this day we must 
render an account of all our works, and that this day suffices to ob- 
tain mercy if it be emploj^ed in a holy manner. — Rodriguez. 

St. Jerome frequently imagined he heard the trumpet 
sound which was to call the dead before the dreadful tri- 
bunal of Jesus Christ. This thought animated him to re- 
sist the attacks of the spirit of impurity by which he was 
often assailed. 

^^I am already on the borders of eternity; it is on the 
fidelity with which I will serve my God during this day 
that my eternal happiness depends. Shall I hesitate to serve 
Him as perfectly as I am able T^ said another saint at the 
commencement of each day. 



The Sanctification of our Actions. i8i 

'^ God has given me another day in which to love Him. 
How good He is in my regard ! How ungrateful would I be 
did I not do all to please Him during this day ! ^^ said St. 
Francis of Sales each day. 

Prayer. 

my God, how good Thou art to give me another day 
of life during which I can obtain grace and enrich myself 
for heaven ! 

Thirtieth Day. 

Certain souls there are who err greatly when they imagine they 
cannot preserve interior repose and peace of soul in the midst of 
occupations and difficulties. There can be no movement greater than 
that of a vessel out at sea; nevertheless, those within her do not cease 
to rest and to sleep, and the needle in the compass remains always 
in its natural position, turned towards the pole. The great point, in 
order not to lose our peace, is to endeavor to keep the needle of 
our will towards the pole, which is the good pleasure of God. — St, 
Francis of Sales. 

Does it not seem that the numerous duties and occupa- 
tions of St. Vincent de Paul would have overwhelmed him 
and kept his mind continually distracted? He was the 
counsellor and confessor of the Queen; he had the govern- 
ment of his congregation, and of several communities; he 
presided at most of the assemblies of charities; he was the 
soul of the ecclesiastical conferences which were often held; 
all unfortunates addressed themselves to him as to their 
father. Notwithstanding this continual ebb and flow of 
persons whom he saw, and affairs which he settled, he was 
always recollected, always master of himself, showing al- 
ways an equanimity of mind, his heart always in peace, as 
if he had but one matter to attend, and that of little conse- 
quence. 

Prayer. 

My God, I desire to please Thee alone; my pleasure is 
Thy good pleasure. What is there that can give me 



1 82 August. 

anxiety, make me lose my peace of soul, prevent me from 
being recollected, or make me discontented ? 

Thirty- FIRST Day. 

All that we do receives its value from our conformity to the will 
of God; for instauce, ealiog or recreation, if I do it because it is the 
will of God, I merit more than if I suffered death without having 
that intention. Keep well in your mind this thought, and remem- 
ber it in all your actions, in imitation of the carpenter, who passes 
all the boards he uses under the plane. It is thus you will do all with 
perfection. — St. Francis of Sales. 

It was this truth of which a Jesuit Brother was well 
convinced when he said that when at table, taking his re- 
past, he did as much as the apostle of the Indies, because 
what St. Francis Xavier did best in preaching the Gospel 
was to accomplish the will of God, and that he himself ac- 
complished tliat will when he was in the refectory during 
the time the Rule required it. 

It was so easy and so familiar to St. Magdalene of Pazzi 
to propose in all her actions to do the will of God that it 
seemed impossible to her that Christians could act with- 
out reflecting on this holy will. 

A resolution which a holy priest took every morning, 
noon, and at the end of the day was to act always with God, 
in God, and for God. With God, I will do nothing con- 
trary to the will of God; in God, being in a state of grace, 
acting in such a manner that grace be the principle of all 
my works. To be in a state of grace I will excite myself 
to a perfect act of contrition before my principal actions. 
I will ask of God this grace with fervor before going from 
one exercise to another. For God, I will act only through 
a supernatural motive for the gloiy of God, to please God, 
for the love of God, in the presence of God, uniting myself 
to Jesus Christ at all times. 

Praye7\ 
Lord, grant that I may do nothing that is not in coii- 
(ormity to Thy holy will. 



SEPTEMBER. 

F*r3.3rer. 

** We ought always to pray. ''^ — St. Luke xviii. 1. 
First Day. 

There is certainly nothing more useful than prayer. This is why 
we should esteem it, love it much, and neglect nothing in order to do 
it well. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

All the saints have shown much affection for this exer- 
cise. St. Cajetan employed eight hours of the day in prayer. 
St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, and St. Stephen, King of 
Hungary, spent most of the night in prayer. St. Francis 
gave to prayer all the time that the obligations of his state 
left him at liberty. St. Louis Gonzaga while still young 
spent each day one or two hours in prayer. One might say 
that St. Magdalene of Pazzi lived in prayer. There have 
been saints, such as St. Philip Neri and St. Francis of 
Sales, who were always in prayer, even while in the midst 
of important affairs. 

Prayer, 

My God, give me a great esteem for prayer. Grant that 
I may love prayer, and that I may acquit myself worthily 
of this salutary exercise. 

Second Day. 

A prayer well made is most agreeable to the angels. For this 
reason tbey love mucli those avIio pray. On the contrary, prayer is 
a torment to the demons, who endeavor to distract and trouble those 
who give themselves to this holy exercise. — St. John Chrysostom. 

'' Let us go and eniage the demon," said a servant of God 
when he was about to pray. 

183 



184 September. 

i' Why is it that there is no time in which the de'vil 
wages greater warfare against us than in the time of 
prayer V^ asked a person of a holy priest. " There is no 
exercise which the demon desires more that we should do 
badly^ because there is none which brings upon us more 
graces and which is more salutary. He who prays well 
always will soon be an angel. ^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may always pray well. Grant that 
I may pray in a manner that will honor Thee and be agree- 
able to Thee, in a manner useful to me in time and eternity. 

Third Day. 

Souls who neglect the exercise of prayer are like a paralyzed and 
crippled body, which has hands and feet but does not make use of 
them. Accordingly, I think it is leaving the true path to abandon 
the salutary exercise of prayer. Prayer is the door through which 
Our Saviour passes to us His graces. If this door be closed, what 
will become of us ? — St. Teresa, 

^'\ have had a sad experience of this/' said the saint. 
" Having abandoned prayer for some time,! began to fall into 
many faults and sins, although they were not of great magni- 
tude. I became every day less Christian, and I would have 
been infallibly lost, as Our Saviour made me understand, 
if I had not returned to the salutary exercise of prayer. '^ 

Prayer. 

My God, give me esteem and love for prayer. I will be 
faithful to it. Do not permit me to neglect so salutary an 
exercise. 

Fourth Day. 

We may hold it for certain that they who persevere in the 
exercise of prayer will not be lost, no matter how great or how mul- 
tiplied their sins may be, or how frequent the temptations with 
which the demon assails them. Sooner or later the Lord will deliver 
them from peril, and conduct them to the port of salvation. — Bt, 
Teresa, 

St. Mary of Egypt after her conversion was continually 
tormented during the space of seventeen years by horrible 



Prayer, 185 

temptations. She was always victorious over these assaults 
of the spirit of impurity, because she never ceased to pray. 
It was through this means that St, Margaret of Cartona 
was preserved from falling, notwithstanding the vivacity 
of her passions and the continual temptations that the re- 
membrance of her many disorders occasioned her. 

When one who is in a holy state allows himself to fall 
into sin, how frightful the depth to which he sinks. 
How difficult it is to rise again! nevertheless it can be ac- 
complished through meditation and constant prayer. A 
priest in Italy who had become a monster of iniquities, and 
who deserved the most rigorous punishment of the law, 
was imprisoned in a frightful dungeon. He suffered a kind 
of hell — as he could not entirely smother the voice of con- 
science — from remorse and the despair into which the sight 
of his sins had thrown him, as well as from fear of the 
punishment that awaited him. A zealous missionary asked 
and obtained permission to visit him. The priest was fu- 
rious upon seeing the missionary. But charity is not easily 
vanquished. The missionary, taking his crucifix, placed it 
where the ray$ of light fell on it, and said: ^"^I ask you, sir, 
to look often upon this image of Our Saviour, Who has 
died for sinners and Who calls them to repentance. ^^ He 
left him a book for spiritual retreats, exhorting him to 
make use of the condition in which he found himself, and 
make salutary reflections for his soul^s advantage. The 
unfortunate man, who seemed to be hastening towards 
final impenitence, found salvation in these means offered 
him. Upon reading the pious meditations, and studying 
the crucifix, he found how guilty he had been. He wept 
bitterly, never ceasing to beg for mercy through Jesus 
Christ. His prayers were heard. He begged to see the 
one who had been instrumental in his conversion. He 
made a confession with deepest contrition. In the depth 
of his contrition he acknowledged many crimes for which 
he was not convicted, even some of which he was not sus- 
pected. " Happy,^^ said he, " if I escape eternal torments 



1 86 September. 

by enduring here those which I have deserved/^ He was 
granted the liberty to go among the prisoners, where he 
labored so efficaciously for their sanctification, by the good 
example he gave, by touching exhortations, and by different 
exercises of piety which he introduced, that this place of 
horror and sin became a place of benediction, and might 
be called a monastery of true penitence. Although per- 
fectly converted, he was still a criminal, and waited with 
submission, almost with impatience, the word which was to 
condemn him to the most rigorous punishment. But before 
the time arrived which was fixed for his execution, he fell 
dangerously ill, and died in sentiments of deepest contri- 
tion and love. " I have great confidence that Our Saviour 
will be mercif uV^ said he, when dying. ^^ I think I have 
wept sincerely for all the sins by which I have offended a 
God so infinitely perfect. So long, alas! I had not loved a 
father so tender. But I feel that I love Him now.^^ How 
salutary are the fruits of meditation and prayer! 

Prayer. 
my God, happy he who meditates in recollection, be- 
fore the image of Jesus crucified, upon the mercies of the 
Lord. I will abase myself in Thy presence, and say: My 
Father, I have sinned ; have mercy on me. 

Fifth Day. 

A man of prayer is capable of doing all tilings. For this reason 
it is of importance that missionaries should especially love this ex- 
ercise, without which they will gather little or no fruit. With its 
help they will more readily soften hearts and gain souls to their 
Creator than if they were learned in human science or had the gift 
of oratory. — Bt. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Francis Borgia was truly a man of prayer. After 
hours passed in prayer he felt as if he had but spent a few 
moments with God. When he went into the pulpit to 
speak the divine word, many among his audience were 
seen to weep; others carried with them from the holy tem- 
ple sentiments of true penance. 



Prayer. 187 

Ven. Louis of Grenada, at the end of a fervent prayer and 
meditation on the Passion of Jesns Christ, determined to 
preach on this great subject, as it was Good Friday. He took 
for his text these words: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus 
*Clirist, Hardly had he pronounced these words than tears 
fell in such abundance from his eyes that he could do no 
more than repeat two or three times over the same words, in 
a voice choking with sobs. There never was a shorter ser- 
mon, never a more efficacious one. Tears fell from the au- 
dience, accompanied by the fruit of sincere repentance, 

St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure acknowledged that it 
was in the exercise of prayer more than in the reading of 
books they had found that sublime knowledge for which 
one merited the title of Angelic Doctor, the other Seraphic 
Doctor. Whenever St. Thomas desired to discover the 
meaning of a difficult text which he did not understand, 
he betook himself to prayer, and soon he was enlightened 
upon that which he sought. 

Prayer. 
my God, look upon my misery and have pity on me. 
My mind is in darkness; my heart is cold; I am weak. 
But I will teach myself to pray, and Thou wilt enlighten 
me. Thou wilt fortify me. 

Sixth Day. 

Before treating with men on spiritual things, entertain yourself 
with God in prayer, divesting yourself of your own thoughts lo re- 
ceive those of the Holy Ghost, Who alone can enlighten the mind 
and influence the heart. Especially must Superiors have close com- 
munication with God, having recourse to Him in every occurrence, 
to learn what they should teach to others, and the manner in w^iich 
it should be taught, like Moses, who announced to the people of 
Israel what the Lord had taught him, saying: ''This is what the 
Lord said." — St. Vmceni de Paul, 

The abbot Pambon replied to those who came to seek his 
counsel: '^ Give me time to think/^ He immediately 
commenced to pray; and if Our Lord enlightened him, he 



1 88 September. 

acquainted those who had asked his advice; but if not, he 
refused to give any opinion. 

St. Ignatius, who depended upon divine wisdom alone, 
never determined any affair of consequence without first 
recommending it to God in prayer. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will undertake nothing, I will give no counsel, 
without first offering it to Thee. Give me wisdom, that it 
may assist me continually. 

Seventh Day. 

Mental prayer consists in well understanding what we say, con- 
sidering Who it is to Whom we speak, and what we are who dare to 
speak to a God Who is so great. It is still more: it is to entertain 
ourselves with God as a friend with his friend, knowing that He 
loves us; and making the many reflections in our mind that this 
thought should produce, — this to my mind is mental prayer. — St. 



St. Ignatius was travelling with several of his com- 
panions. Each one carried a small bag containing some 
necessaries with him. A good Christian, thinking they 
were fatigued, offered to assist them, begging them to ac- 
cept his services as a favor to himself. They at last con- 
sented. When they had arrived at the place in which they 
were to pass the night, this man, seeing the good Fathers 
kneel down to pray, did the same, and remained kneeling 
during all the time the others prayed. When the time 
fixed for this exercise was ended they arose from their 
knees. They perceived that the man arose also. ^^ What 
have you done all this time V^ they asked him. His reply 
edified them greatly. ^^ I have done only this,^^ said he; ''\ 
have said: ^Lord, these men who pray so devoutly are 
saints, and I am only their beast of burden. My intention 
is the same as theirs; what they say to Thee I also say.^^^ 
This was his prayer, during the whole of the journey. 
Through this means he rose to a sublime degree of prayer. 



Prayer. 189 

Prayer, 
My God, how can one have faith or love Thee, and not 
find his deh'ght in the holy exercise of prayer ? What so 
sweet as to humble one^s self before God, to address Him, to 
listen to His voice, to converse as a friend withi a friend, 
as a child with a tender father ? 

Eighth Day. 

While speaking with the lips to God, if at the same time we speak 
with the heart, keeping well in mind it is to God we are addressing 
ourselves, and, entering into the sentiments the words express, we 
then pray both vocally and mentally. Such a prayer is of great ser- 
vice.— /S^, Teresa. 

A pious priest, whilst discoursing with the mistress of an 
inn where he was stopping, suggested that she might Sanc- 
tify every action of the day. " I try to do so,^^ she replied. 
" I have a little particular prayer for each action. I recite 
it as devoutly as I can, uniting myself to the Church tri- 
umphant, militant, and suffering. I have done this for 
twelve years.^^ ^^Who suggested this excellent practice to 
you?^^ asked he. ^^A Capuchin missionary who gave a 
mission some time since, ^^ she replied, ^^ and who reaped 
abundant fruit from his labors in that mission.^^ The 
priest exhorted her to continue in this pious practice, also 
to encourage her children to do the same. 

Prayer. 

My God, I take the resolution to offer all my actions to 
Thee, to be sanctified and blessed, that I may perform 
them in a manner agreeable to Thee and beneficial for my- 
self. 

Ninth Day. 

When in prayer we find ourselves touched with some holy affec- 
tion, it is not the time to multiply reflections, but to stop, meditate, 
address one's self to God in words of compunction, of love, of aban- 
donment, according as the inclination may move us. This is the best 
kind of prayer. — &i, Jane Frances. 

St. Cyril shows by comparison how one should meditate. 
^^How does one act who would strike a light? He takes 



1 90 September. 

a flint and strikes the stone with a steel until the fire 
ignites whatever he wishes it to fall upon. In like manner 
he who meditates ought by considerations and reasonings 
of the mind strike the stone of the heart until the love of 
God, desire of humilitj^, mortification, and other virtues 
enter it. The heart being once inflamed, all that is neces- 
sary is to tend this divine fire/^ 

A servant of God, who generally meditated on the Pas- 
sion of Jesus Christ, well understood this practice. He first 
represented to his mind Jesus suffering. As soon as he was 
touched by sentiments of love, gratitude, or sorrow for sin, 
or a desire to imitate his divine Model, he sought no fur- 
ther, but dwelt upon these pious thoughts. When growing 
cold, he made other reflections to animate them, as follows : 
" What terrible torments ! Who is it that has endured them ? 
It is the Son of God ! the Son of God! For whom has 
He suffered thus? It is for me I for me! charity! 
The Son of God has suffered to such an excess for me! 
What! for me — a vile nothing, a being so often rebellious ? 
The Son of God has become for me a Man of sorrows, and 
I have no courage to suffer something for love of Him! 
After having suffered all that -love could suffer, and for my 
salvation alone, I will not detest sin, I will even offend this 
God of love, and renew the sorrows of His passion! I 
crucify Him anew in my heart ! Where is my gratitude ? 
Where is my humanity? Have I a heart, have I faith? 
Ah, how I should blush and repent for having thus 
treated my God! No, I will not offend Him again. He 
has loved me so prodigiously, and I have not loved Him as 
much as I was capable of doing. my God, I love Thee, 
I will always love Thee. Grant that I may love Thee as 
Thou deservest to be loved. ^^ It is in this manner we should 
meditate, having the affections follow the reflections, re- 
flecting only to produce holy affections. 

Prayer. 
My God, deign to inspire me during prayer with those 
reflections I ought to make, and with the resolutions I 



Prayer. 191 

ought to form. Let it be Thy holy Spirit Who will pray 
in me. 

Tenth Day. 

Those souls who are not solidly established in piety walk bravely 
and are content when Our Lord gives them consolations during 
prayer ; but if He deprives them of these, they are discontented,— 
like little children who thank their mother when she gives them 
sweets, and cry when she takes them away, not knowing they are 
dangerous when taken in large quantities. Sensible consolations 
engender complacency. This complacency gives birth to pride, which 
is the poison of the soul and corrupts every good work. Our 
Saviour lavishes spiritual consolations when we enter the way of 
piety, in order to attract us to Him; afterwards He deprives us of 
them to try us and lest they might become hurtful to us. Ought we 
not thank Him as well when He takes them as when He gives 
them to us 1—Bt, Francis of Sales, 

A great servant of God said he had been faithful for 
forty years in praying without any interior consolation; 
nevertheless, this exercise had been very salutary for him. 
" I rejoice and I thank God/^ said he, " that I have served 
Him in a manner at my own expense/^ 

St. John Berchmans experienced at times, while in 
prayer, inexpressible sweetness ; but he had also days on 
which his soul was plunged in greatest dryness. He never 
lost courage nor disquieted himself when in this state. 

Prayer. 

My God, treat me whilst in prayer, not according to my 
natural inclination, but according to my needs. Show 
Thyself to me, hide Thyself, or reproach me, or say Thou 
lovest me ; it is all the same. It is not sweetness I seek; 
it is the accomplishment of Thy will and Thy love I desire, 



192 September. 

Eleventh Day. 

When a soul is oppressed with aridity or sterility it should make 
acts of abasement, of confidence, and of conformity to the will of 
God, standing in His presence as a poor subject before the king, 
making use of words to express loving submission to His divine will. 
— BL Jane Frances. 

^' I desire no other kind of prayer/^ said St. Teresa, 
'^ than that which makes me grow in virtue. Therefore I 
regard as good prayer that made with dryness and tempta- 
tion, because it makes me more humble. Can we say we 
do not pray if we offer to God our troubles, or, if suffering, 
we conform to His holy will ? It is a much better prayer 
than if the head is full of divers reflections, and we per- 
suade ourselves that we pray fervently if we succeed in 
sheddiug a few tears.^^ 

"What do you do,^^ it was asked of that great servant of 
God, St. John Berchmans, ^^to profit by spiritual dryness ?^^ 
" I pray,^^ he replied, " I occupy myself, and I practise 
patience.^^ 

St. Philip Neri said that in the time of spiritual dryness 
and desolation it was very useful to imagine yourself a 
beggar in the presence of God and His saints, and to beg 
an alms, sometimes of Jesus Christ, sometimes of the 
Blessed Virgin, of our angel guardian, of the saints, as the 
poor beg corporal alms from those who can assist them. 

Prayer, 

my God, do not permit me to abandon prayer in dis- 
taste. Let me humble myself before Thee. I will con- 
form myself to Thy holy will. I will ask spiritual alms 
for my assistance. 

Twelfth Day. 

Let him who desires that prayer be useful to him make no account 
of spiritual consolations. I know from experience that one who 
enters this path with a true determination to be thankful whether 
Our Lord gives him sweets and tenderness or gives them not has 
already made great progress on the journey. — St. Teresa. 

St. Francis of Sales was never disquieted when tried by 
interior desolations or dryness. He said once to his daughter 



Prayer. 193 

in Christ, St. Jane Frances: ^^ It is not my custom to reflect 
whether I have consolations or desolations. When Our 
Lord gives me good sentiments, I receive them with pro- 
found respect and simplicity ; if He gives them not, I do 
not grieve — I stand before Him with great confidence, like 
a child whom He loves/^ 

Prayer, 
My God, let me be ever before Thee, as a loving child be- 
fore a tender mother — with confidence and love. 

Thirteenth Day. 

There is something more which often aflBlicts those who practise 
the holy exercise of prayer. It is distractions. Distractions some- 
times arise from un mortified senses, sometimes because the soul 
cannot for any length of time occupy itself with the same object; but 
often it is permitted by God to try His servants. What is to be done 
when one is distracted ? We must suffer this humiliation with hu- 
mility and patience. The time employed thus will not be lost. 
Such a prayer is oftentimes more advantageous than many made 
with recollection and sweetness, because in banishing or supporting 
these distractions with the intention of pleasing God we perform so 
many acts of love of God. — St, Teresa. 

St. Jane Prances gave this counsel to her Daughters of 
the Visitation: "When one is distracted during prayer, it 
is well to make the prayer of patience and to say humbly 
and lovingly: ^ Lord, Thou art the only hope of my soul, 
and all my consolation.^ ^^ 

St. John Chrysostom advised one who had frequent dis- 
tractions to endeavor to avoid falling into this fault by 
making the following reflections: ^^Wliat! when I enter- 
tain a friend and converse of history, news, trifles, etc., 
etc., I am very attentive; when entertaining myself with 
God on things of so great importance as the pardon of my 
sins, the means of salvation, I do not hesitate to let my 
mind dwell upon strange subjects ! Being upon my knees 
before God, how dare I permit my thoughts to stray away 
from Him, to go where I am not ? hypocrisy, how crimj- 



1 94 September. 

nal ! Hare I faith ? If I have faith, I must then have lost 
my senses/^ 

A pious person banished distractions by recalling this 
maxim of Caesarius of Aries: "When we pray, we adore 
the object of which we Toluntarily think.'^ 

He who directed St. Louis Gonzaga in spiritual affairs 
interrogated him regarding his distractions. ^^ Have you 
distractions during prayer?'* Having reflected lor a moment, 
the saint replied: ^^If I added together all that I have had 
during the past six months, they would occupy as much 
time as it would take to say one ^Hail ^lary.''^ This was 
most admirable. The reason was because he closed 
within himself the source of distractions; belabored con- 
tinually to mortify his senses, and never permitted his mind 
to dwell upon subjects that did not tend to perfection or 
the science of his vocation. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will labor to destroy the kernel of distractions 
in myself. I will mortify myself, and endeavor to walk in 
Thy holy presence. I will not voluntarily occupy my mind 
with dissipating thoughts. 

Fourteenth Day. 

The whole care of those who give themselves to the exercise of 
prayer should be to conform their will to that of God. In this consists 
the greatest perfection we can acquire here below.— >S^. Teresa, 

To conform in all things to the will of God was the 
principal object of all the prayers of this great saint. 

St. Bernard addressed himself to God in the beginning 
of all his prayers as follows: ''My God, I offer Thee this 
prayer that Thou mayst hear the ardent desire with which 
Thou hast inspired me to know and to do Thy will.^^ 

St. Joseph Labre, called the poor one of Jesus Christ, 
who died in the odor of sanctity in Eome in 1785, gave 
to those who were astonished at the humiliations and 



Prayer. 195 

penances of his life this answer: ^^God wills it thus; God 
wills that I walk in this path. It is not permitted that we 
resist the will of God. He has disposed everything for my 
greater good and my salvation/^ Such was the fruit he 
gathered from his prayer, which was continual. 

Prayer. 

Lord, inspire me with an ardent desire to know and to 
accomplish Thy will. This is the fruit I desire to obtain 
from all my prayers. 

Fifteenth Day. 

Prayer, that is all vocal prayer, should be humble, fervent, per- 
severing, accompanied by resignation and confidence, considering that 
we are in the presence of God, and that we speak to Him before 
Whom the heavenly virtues tremble and are seized with fear and 
respect. — St. Magdalene of Pazzi. 

St. Francis of Sales in his exterior was as truly devout 
when he prayed alone as when in the church or in public. 
He always knelt in a becoming posture, with his eyes 
closed or modestly cast down in order to be more recol- 
lected. His soul ceased not to pour forth holy aspirations, 
so filled was he with the holiness and goodness of God. To 
see him in this position was sufficient to touch others with 
sentiments of piety. In time of spiritual dryness he imag- 
ined himself a statue placed in an apartment, at the desire 
of his Master Who placed him there. " my God,^^ he 
would say, ^^I am here to please Thee; I desire nothing 



Prayer, 

My God, grant that in all my prayers I may be mindful 
of Thy sovereign majesty. Thy infinite holiness and ad- 
mirable goodness. During spiritual dryness and weariness 
may I be resigned to Thy will, to await Thy disposal in all 
things! 



196 September. 



Sixteenth Day. 

Disengage yourself a little from all your cares, and take some time 
to think of God and rest in Him. Enter into the closet of your 
heart, banish all else from it, reserving it for your Creator or what- 
ever will help you to find Him. Close then the door and say to Him: 
"Lord, I desire that Thy will be done; teach me to know and to 
accomplish it." — St. Augustin. 

St. Francis of Sales gave to the interior of his soul the 
name of sanctuary of God, where nothing dwelt but his 
soul and God. This was the place of his retreat and rest. 
Hence his great purity, his admirable simplicity, his pro- 
found humility, and his continual union with God. 

When St. Bernard prayed, or entered the holy temple, he 
said : " Depart from me, vain thoughts, terrestrial affections, 
and thou, my soul, enter into the judgment of thy 
Saviour.-" 

Prayer. 
My God, I consecrate to Thee my heart. Make it Thy 
temple, Thy sanctuary. May I dwell in it always, there to 
adore Thee without ceasing. 

Seventeenth Day, 

Those who can enclose themselves in the little heaven of their soul 
where He is Who created the heavens and the earth are treading a 
most excellent path, where, before long, they will find the waters of 
the fountain of life; in a short time they will have made much 
progress. — St. Teresa. 

St. Catharine of Siena, who loved retirement, finding 
that her parents gave her the charge of many laborious and 
dissipating occupations, made an oratory of her own heart, 
where in thought she continually dwelt and from which 
nothing could distract her. She there meditated upon 
God, and lovingly conversed with Him. She was accustomed 
to say that our hearts are the kingdom of God, where He 
fixes His throne when with the angels we adore Him with 
faith and with love. 



Prayer. 197 

A fervent person abhorred very much to entertain visitors 
in the parlor, and would never be there except through ne- 
cessity, lest she might lose the spirit of recollection. Her 
parents tried to persuade her that conversation was good 
to relax and refresh the mind. She replied that she con- 
versed continually with Jesus Christ; that she could never 
find conversation more instructive and at the same time 
more delicious. 

^^What a source of delight for me/^ said St. Teresa. 
" to recollect that I have God within me, and that He alone 
dwells in meP^ 

Prayer, 

My God, Thou art within me ; reign over all the powers 
of my soul ; do Thou alone dwell in my heart. What hap- 
piness that my heart is Thy home, Thy kingdom, a heaven ! 
How delicious to possess Thee, to converse with Thee at all 
times! 

Eighteenth Day. 

It is not necessary that in praying we talk much, or that in speak- 
ing to God we select the choicest expressions. It is sufficient to be 
profoundly recollected in His divine presence, represent simply to 
Him our wants and the obligation He has willed to contract through 
love for us to relieve them. — 8t, Teresa, 

Gerson relates that a great servant of God often said : 
^"During the space of forty years, in which I have endeav- 
ored to the best of my ability to pray, I have found no bet- 
ter means than to present myself before God like a child, 
or like a poor beggar, blind, naked, and abandoned.^^ 

This was the kind of prayer that St. Francis made when 
he passed entire nights repeating these words: ^*^ My God, 
what art Thou, and what am I V^ In contemplating a God 
so great, so good, he abased himself in thinking of his noth- 
ingness, he was penetrated with a contrition which love 
had planted in his heart, he begged the Lord to hasten to 
the succor of one so miserable. 



1 98 September. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may be always profoundly recol- 
lected in Thy presence. I will lay my wants unceasingly 
before Thee. Eemember, Thou hast promised to assist those 
who come to Thee. Thou Who art so powerful and so 
good, hasten to my aid. 

Nineteenth Day. 

It is very advantageous and salutary to occupy one's self during 
prayer in making acts of praise and of the love of God; to form a 
desire and a firm purpose to please Him in all things; to rejoice in His 
goodness because He is sovereign perfection; to wish that all render 
Him the honor and glory He deserves; to recommend one's self to 
His mercy; to place one's self simply before Him, admiriiig His grand- 
eur, humbling one's self at the sight of our miseries, then to be indif- 
ferent as to what He sends us, be it consolations or dryness, con- 
vinced that He knows which is better for us, — all these acts tend to 
fill the mind with holy affections. The great point is not to think 
much, but to love much. — Bt. Teresa. 

Father Segneri, the younger, said to one of his friends: 
^' Do not do as I have done. During the time of my studies 
in theology, I employed my hour of prayer in making re- 
flections, in order to excite in me some pious sentiments. 
I scarcely ever offered myself to God. At last Our Lord 
enlightened me. I now do nothing more than recommend 
myself to Him and make acts of love. If I have been of 
any use to others, I owe it to this exercise, I think.^^ 

St. Jane Frances found her delight in contemplating the 
immense perfections of God, and desiring that this Sover- 
eio:n Good be known and loved bv all His creatures. 



^o 



Prayer, 

My God, I will not cease to offer myself to Thee, to praise 
Thee, to love Thee, to say to Thee, I am ready to do Thy 
will. ' 



Prayer. 199 



Twentieth Day. 

Image to yourself while at prayer that you are loaded with injuries, 
that ail kind of adversity has befallen you; prepare then your heart 
to pardon all those who have arisen against you, and to bear patient- 
ly with all things, in imitation of Jesus Christ. By this means we 
make great progress in the way of perfection. — 8t, Philip Neri. 

St. Ignatius^ being confined to his bed for a time through 
illness, began to reflect seriously if anything could happen 
that might be capable of disturbing his peace. Having con- 
sidered a long time, and passed in review all sorts of adver- 
sities, he discovered but one thing that might afflict him 
and take away from him his peace of soul; it was the de- 
struction of the society of which he was the founder. 
Having meditated several times upon this subject, he felt 
that if the Lord sent him this cross, it would require but a 
quarter of an hour of prayer for him to recover his tranquil- 
lity, supposing that he had lost it upon receiving the news. 

Prayer, 

my God, Thou hast been crucified for me. I am ready 
to be crucified for Thee. What cross wilt Thou give me ? 
lam ready. I will not complain ; I will bless Thee and 
thank Thee. 

Twenty-first Day. 

Meditate every day for a certain time on the Passion of Jesus 
Christ. One meditation well made upon this subject is of more value 
than severe penances performed for a whole year, or the recitation of 
the whole Psalter each day. — Albert the Great. 

It is by continual meditation on the sufferings of Our 
Saviour that St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis Xavier, St. 
Bridget arrived at so high a degree of holiness. 

The great servant of God, St. Joseph Labre, never 
lost sight of Jesus crucified. Whenever he saw a cruci- 
fix, he said to Jesus Christ: ''It is not Thou Who de- 



200 September. 

servest to be crucified, it is I. That cross should not have 
been made for Thee: it is I who ought to carry it, who 
ought to be uailed upon it." 

The venerable Palafox rested in thought on the different 
nails which attached Jesus Christ to the cross, like a bird 
that reposes in the branches of a tree. There he meditated 
with feelings of astonishment and love upon the frightful 
state to which the sins of men had reduced his divine 
Master, and he kissed with devotion the precious blood 
which covered these adorable woands. 

A priest, having heard of a young person who possessed 
the gift of prayer in an eminent degree, asked him in what 
manner he meditated. He replied: •*' It is on the Passion 
of Jesus Christ that I almost always meditate; it is in my 
heart that I make it. I address myself to Mary, whom I 
always call my good Mother. I ask her different questions. 
I think I hear her reply. The time appointed for medi- 
tation passes so rapidly, almost without perceiving it, and 
frequently during the day the thought of the subject of my 
meditation comes to mind.^^ The priest, charmed with his 
manner of relating his story, asked what were the questions 
he proposed to the Blessed Virgin. He replied : '* When I 
salute the Blessed Virgin, I say: 'Who is this I see near 
thee, my good mother, all covered with horrible wounds and 
bleeding ? The hardest of hearts must be touched with 
compassion at the sight.^ ' It is Jesus Christ my Son,^ she 
replies. ' What I thy Son, the only Son of God made man in 
thee I What has brought Him to this frightful state?' She 
replies: ' It is men, it is thou, it is thy sins.^ ^ What I it is 
I who have treated in this manner the Son of God I This 
is what I have done when I sinned ! Oh, how guilty am I ! 
But why did Jesus Christ suffer like this ? Could He not 
puuish me and not Himself?' She replies: 'He has suf- 
fered voluntarily. It is to save thee from being precipi- 
tated into hell that He suffered to such an excess. It is love, 
and only love. He loves thee. He has delivered Himself 
for thee, so that thou mightst be delivered from the slavery 



J 



Prayer. 201 

of sin and hell; and to obtain for thee a place in heaven 
by His sufferings, He has merited the graces thou requirest 
to arrive there/ ' ray good Mother, tell me what I must 
do; I am prepared for all/ She replies: ^Go, ask pardon 
of my Son, thy Saviour, for the sins thou hast committed. 
Show how grateful thou art for the great things He has 
done for thee; offer thyself entirely to Him, through love 
for Him; promise to obey Him, to imitate Him; beg Him 
to assist thee unceasingly/ I go then to Jesus Christ and 
I do as His blessed Mother counsels me/^ 

Prayer, 
my amiable Eedeemer, engrave deeply in my heart Thy 
sorrowful Passion. Grant that I may think unceasingly of 
it, and let me burn continually with Thy love. 

Twenty-second Day. 

A friend will visit his friend in the morniDg to wish him a good- 
day, in the evening, a good -night, taking also an opportunity to con- 
verse with him during the day. In like manner make visits to 
Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, if your duties permit it. It 
is especially at the foot of the altar that one prays well. In all your 
visits to Our Saviour, frequently offer His precious blood to the Eter- 
nal Father. You will find these visits very conducive to increase in 
you divine love.— /S^. Magdalene of Pazzi, 

A pious person whose duties brought her out very much 
never passed a church without entering to offer to Jesus 
her homage and to recommend herself to Him. 

St. Vincent de Paul visited tlie Blessed Sacrament as fre- 
quently as possible. It was at the feet of Jesus Christ that 
he took his rest after his many occupations. There, in abase- 
ment, in the presence of Our Saviour, his faith beheld Him 
more clearly tliau if he saw Him with corporal eyes. His 
admirable modesty, which had its birth in his deep religious 
sentiments, struck all who beheld him. When his advice 
was asked upon matters of importance, he had recourse, 
like Moses, to the divine tabernacles to consult the Oracle 



202 September. 

of Truth. He never went out without first going to Our 
Lord to ask His blessing, and upon his return he presented 
himself before Him to thank Him for the graces He had 
given him, and to beg pardon for the faults he had com- 
mitted. It might be said that his heart remained in adora- 
tion before the Blessed Sacrament, while in body he was far 
away. He often wished that his duties permitted him to 
rest here in prayer all his life. 

In Eome the servant of God St. Joseph Labre was 
called the forty lioiirs beggar^ because he spent the greater 
part of the day in those churches where the Blessed Sacra- 
ment was exposed for the veneration of the faithful. When 
not reciting the Divine Office, or some other vocal prayer, 
he appeared to be in an ecstasy. " He is a saint/^ those 
would say who saw him in the church. 

Prayer, 

my amiable Saviour, let my heart be always in adora- 
tion at the foot of Thy altar. I would wish to be there in 
prayer the rest of my life. 

Twenty-third Day. 

It is very important that in order to pray we should know ourselves. 
He who knows himself well sees clearly that he is full of miseries. 
At this, he humbles himself, and is confounded before the Sovereign 
Majesty of God. What ! cries he, Our Lord has done so much for 
me and 1 have done so little for Him ! I have so often offended Him 
Whom 1 have so much cause to love ! — Si. Teresa, 

A young anchorite once said to his master: " It seems to 
me, Father, that I am agreeable in the eyes of God, that I 
possess many virtues. ^^ " He who sees not his sins/^ replied 
the old man, '^ always persuades himself that he is good; 
but he who reflects upon the sins of which he is guilty is 
very far from thinking in such a manner. ^^ 

St. Francis Borgia spent two hours each day in meditat- 
ing and examining his own disposition of heart. Through 
the means of this salutary exercise he conceived so low an 



Prayer. lo^ 

opinion of himself that he was astonished that he was not 
despised, insulted, and ill-treated by all. 

The servant of God St. Joseph Labre found in prayer 
such a horror of himself that he was eager for humiliations. 
Nothing was more delicious to him than to receive insults. 
A worthy priest, who esteemed him much, wished out of 
respect for him to kiss his feet. This was, perhaps, of all 
the mortifications he had to endure, the greatest. '' Why 
do this?"^ said he; ^^is it because I am a beggar in mind 
and lead the life of one V^ 

Prayer. 

my God, what hast Thou not done for me, and what 
have I done for Thee? I have too many reasons to love 
Thee, and I have done scarcely anything but offend Thee. 
Pardon, Lord, a thousand thousand pardons. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

The great work of our perfection is born, grows, and is consum- 
mated by the means of two exercises, which are simple but very pre- 
cious. These exercises are frequent aspirations and the consideration 
of God. Aspirations are certain transports of the soul towards God. 
These transports are the more efficacious as they are vehement and. 
loving. The considerations of God are the more beneficial as the 
regards towards God are more simple. One cannot imagine the 
power of these two exercises to assist us in our duties, to sustain us 
in temptation, to raise us after our falls, and to unite us intimately 
with God. One can easily make them in any time or place. These 
exercises should be as familiar to us as it is easy for us to breathe. — 
8i. Francis of Sales, 

Every time that St. Ignatius heard the clock strike he 
recollected himself and elevated his heart to God. 

St. Vincent de Paul was exact to observe the same prac- 
tice. When in company with others, he made the sign of 
the cross and some interior aspiration. When alone he said 
usually: ^^0 my God ! Divine Goodness ! when wilt 
Thou give us grace to belong entirely to Thee ?'^ 

St. Thomas Aquinas often made ejaculatory prayers at 



2C4 September, 

table, at study, when he left his room, upon his return, 
when going from one exercise to another. 

Cassian relates that the monks of Egypt frequently used 
these words of the prophet: Dens, in acljutorium meirm in- 
tende. Doinine ad adjuvandum me festina. '^ Incline unto 
my aid. Lord. Lord, make haste to help me."' The 
anchorites of eminent virtue^ being assembled to deliberate 
which was the best of all the practices of piety, decided 
upon this: to pronounce these words often and with much 
humility, together with a great desire to be heard. 

The venerable Palafox said frequently every day: '^Lord, 
keep me so that I may keep Thee and never be separated 
from Thee. I desire but Thee. — Thou Who art my God 
and my all." 

The guardian of the hospital to which the servant of 
God St. Joseph Labre had retired before his death, relates 
that he repeated frequently and many times in the night 
with great devotion: ** Lord, have pity on me. my God, 
take pity on me." 

Prayer, 

my God, how can my heart desist from saying, ^^ I love 

. Thee,'^ as often as I breathe ? Let my heart, so ungrateful, 
become grateful. Let this heart, all ice, be consumed with 
love for Thee, 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

A practice very beneficial to the soul is to elevate the mind to God 
by the considerariou of all His works ^vhich we see around us, ad- 
miring in them His adorable perfections, the love He bears us, and 
the obligation under which we are to serve Him faithfully. — Author 

of the ''Spiritual Coriibai'' 

This was the continual practice of St. Francis of Sales, 
which he had leaimed in that excellent book called the 
Spiritual Combat, which he esteemed so highly that he al- 
ways carried it with him. On beholding the beauties of the i 
fields, he would sav: •• TTe are the fields which God has cul- 



Prayer, 205 

tivated/^ At the sight of a magnificent church beautifully 
adorned, he said: ^^ We are the temples of the living God; 
why are not our souls adorned with virtue V^ The flowers 
would suggest the thought: " When will our flowers be ac- 
companied with fruit T^ If he saw rare and beautiful paint- 
ings, he made this reflection: ^^ There is nothing more beau- 
tiful than the soul which is made to the image of God/^ If 
he saw gardens: "When will the garden of our soul produce 
beautiful flowers, abundant fruit, be well cultivated, well 
decorated?'^ At the sight of a fountain, he sighed after the 
happy days when we shall drink without interruption at the 
source of the fountain of life, Our Saviour. On viewing a 
river, he said: " When shall we go to God, as these waters 
flow to the sea V^ In a word, he saw nothing which did not 
manifest to him the God that he loved, nothing which did 
not elevate his heart to Him, which did not attach him still 
more closely to Him 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that I may see Thee everywhere and in 
everything; grant that I maybe elevated towards Thee and 
grow in Thy love. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

There is a certain manner of prayer most simple and very useful; it 
is, to be habitually in the presence of God. And this sight of God 
will produce in us an intimate union with Him, a simple and perfect 
intention. Oh, how precious is this manner of prayer ! — St. Francis 
of Sales. 

St. Louis Gonzaga found nothing more easy than to be 
continually united to God in thought and mind. He found 
it as difficult not to think of God as others find it hard to 
think of Him unceasingly. His thoughts were never dis- 
tracted from God, only when he slept. Even then, if he had 
dreams, God was the subject of them. 

Some one said to the zealous priest Bernard, called the 
poor priest: ^^ You never cease to speak of God; you speak 



2o6 September. 

of Him too often/^ " I cannot help speaking of that which 
is ever present to my mind, of that which my heart loves/^ 
replied he. 

Prayer. 

My God, may I be ever in Thy presence, and grant that 
the thought of Thy benefits, of Thy perfections, and of Thy 
love fill me with joy, and unite me intimately with Thee! 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

If we walk one year continually in the presence of God, at the end 
of that year we will find ourselves at the summit of perfection. — 8i. 
Teresa. 

A holy abbot gave this advice to one of his disciples : ^^ My 
son, try not to lose sight of God. Think that He is with 
you every moment, that He regards you. This is the means 
of all means to arrive soon at perfection. The Lord Him- 
self taught this way to Abraham, in saying to him : ^ Walk 
before Me and be perfect.^ '^ The young man, being con- 
vinced of the excellence of this advice, put it in practice 
and became a model of sanctity. 

St. Joseph Labre had always a lively sentiment of the 
presence of God. It might easily be perceived in all places 
and at all times, by the modesty of his looks, the sanctity 
which shone in his countenance, that he was occupied with 
God alone. A priest sending him with a letter to a monas- 
tery said : '^ I have sent to these religious a saint who spends 
all his life in prayer/^ 

Prayer. 

My God, let me walk in Thy presence continually; let 
me never lose sight of Thee: let me think of Thee every 
moment. Grant that this continual remembrance of Thee 
may fill me with love for Thee, 



Prayer. 207 



Twenty-eighth Day. 

Almost all the faults that persons in religion commit against their 
rules and in their exercises of piety arise from the facility with 
which they lose sight of the presence of God. — St. Francis of Sales. 

We do not fail in respect to a king when in his presence 
or when we think his eyes are upon us. Shall we sin against 
God^ Who is present and Who sees us ? said a holy priest. 
Why is it the saints in heaven do not, or cannot, sin ? It is 
because they do not cease to contemplate God. 

^' Think of Me, and I will think of thee/^ said Our Lord 
to a saint. He would have him understand that the con- 
tinual remembrance of God is an excellent means not only 
of not offending God, but of enriching him with His favors. 

A pious person said to her director: ^^ My Father, the days 
in which I think least of God are the days in which I sin the 
oftenest. Give me some practice that I may never cease to 
think of God.^^ He gave her the following practices : ^^ 1st. 
Ask of God, in all your prayers, the graces you need to 
walk continually in His holy presence. 2d. When you 
perceive that a half- hour is passed without having thought 
of Him, humble yourself and say with love : ^ God so 
amiable, bow have I passed so long a time without occupy- 
ing myself with Thee ? ^ 3d. Often fix your eyes upon 
some holy object to animate your faith. ^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I have offended Thee because I ceased to think 
of Thee. Grant that I may see Thee everywhere and in 
everything; that I may be touched by Thy perfections, 
and never offend Thee more, but love Thee as much as 
I am capable of lovmg. 



2o8 September. 



Twenty-ninth Day. 

There is a certain maDner of Tvalking in the presence of Grod, in 
which, if the soul desires it, she can be always in prayer and con- 
tinually ioflamed with the presence of God. It is, to think in our 
different occupations that we do the will of God, and to rejoice 
W^^x^v^.— Rodriguez. 

St. Francis of Sales^ for some years before his death, 
could not give much time to prayer, owing to the many 
duties which occupied him relating to the salvation of 
others. His daughter in Christ, St. Jane Frances, asked 
him one day if he had prayed. "]S^o,'^ replied he, ''but I 
have done that which is of more value than prayer/^ It 
was that he kept himself continually united with God. 
^^It is necessary, ^^ said he, ''in this world to make a prayer 
of work and actions.^' By this means his life was a con- 
tinual prayer. Xot content to enjoy a delicious union 
with God by prayer, when there was time to pray, he was 
still further united to Him by the joy he experienced in 
constantly doing His holy will. 

Prayer, 

;My God, grant me grace to be continually united to Thee 
by love, thinking that I do Thy will, and rejoicing in it. 

Thirtieth Day. 

The most sublime and the most perfect prayer is contemplation. 
But this kind of prayer is entirely the work of God; being super- 
natural, it is far above our capacity. All that the soul can do in re- 
gard to contemplation is to dispose itself for it — that is, to have deep 
sentiments of humility; to endeavor to acquire all the virtues, par- 
ticularly fraternal charity and the love of God; to be resolved to do 
in all things the will of God ; to walk in the way of the cross; to die 
to self-love, which consists more in desiring that which satisfies our- 
selves than in pleasing God. — St. Teresa. 

This saint practised this means of sanctification. This 
is why Our Lord raised her to so high a degi'ee of con- 
templation, and lavished upon her gifts so rare. 



I 



Prayer. 209 

It was asked of St. Antony how he could pass whole 
nights in prayer. He replied: ^^I never knew in what true 
contemplation consisted as long as I sought myself. But 
when I had purified my mind of all thoughts capable of 
disquieting me, and had rooted from my heart all terres- 
trial affection, I commenced to taste that admirable fruit 
of the will of God that pure souls are accustomed to taste 
in contemplation.^^ 

A person very enlightened in the ways of God said: ^^I 
have learned by my own experience that to study mystical 
theology we must study the crucifix more than books; 
that is to say, we must study to practise virtue, to imitate 
Jesus Christ, to lead a pure life, to pray with fervor, to do 
faithfully and suffer constantly what God requires of us, 
by dying to ourselves. This is the book we must apply our- 
selves to read.^^ 

Prayer. 

my Saviour, I will, after Thy example, humble myself 
without ceasing, practise virtue, exercise acts of mercy, re- 
joice in the accomplishment of Thy will, carry my cross 
after Thee, never seek to satisfy myself, and have no de- 
sire but to please Thee. Let me be always united to Thee. 



OCTOBER. 

Confidence. 

Haw confidence,—^!!. Mark vi. 50. 

First Day. 

Nothing is impossible to God, since His power is infinite. Nothing 
is difficult to God, since His wisdom is equally infinite. God desires 
our good with an infinite desire, since His goodness is without 
limit. What can be more capable of inspiring us with great con- 
fidence in Him? — Author of the *' Spiritual Combat.'' 

St. Francis of Sales was filled with so great a confidence 
in God that in the midst of the greatest disasters nothing 
could disturb the peace of his soul. " I cannot but be per- 
suaded/^ he often said, ^^that he who believes in an infinite 
Providence, which extends even to the lowest worm, must 
expect good from all that happens to him.^^ 

The great confidence that man has in God, believing that 
He knows all, that He is able and that He desires to assist 
him on every occasion, is most agreeable to God; it attracts 
God towards him in such a manner that He cannot with- 
hold His favors, on account of the glory this dependence 
and love procures Him. Our Saviour made this known to 
St. Gertrude, and it animated her with most lively con- 
fidence. 

Prayer. 

My God, I believe that Thou art capable and that Thou 
wishest to make us happy. Thou askest only love; I love 
and confide in Thee. 

210 



Confidence. 211 

Second Day. 

It is certain that God desires that which is most advantageous to 
us much more than we desire it ourselves. He knows better than 
we by what means that which is best for us must arrive. The 
choice of means is entirely in His hands, since it is He Who disposes 
of all, regulates all things in the world. It is also certain that in 
events which happen, that which befalls us will always be best for 
\\s,.—8t. Augustin. 

St. Francis of Sales^ knowing that all the accidents of 
life, without exception, happen by the order of Providence, 
reposed in Him with the greatest tranquillity, like a child 
on the bosom of his mother. He said that Our Lord had 
inspired him with this lesson from his childhood, and that 
if he had to return to the world, he would despise more 
than ever all human wisdom, and let himself be entirely 
governed by divine Providence. 

^^ Let us always serve well our good God, and He will 
not abandon us,^' wrote to his parents that great servant 
of God, St. Joseph Labre. 

Prayer. 

God, Who art my Father, I repose in Thee as a little 
child on the breast of his mother. Thou wilt not abandon 
me if I serve Thee with love. 

Third Day. 

Will you have an assurance that you may and that you ought to 
confide in God ? Here is one. Our Saviour has said, I will never 
abandon you ; I will be always with you. If a man who is 
honest and powerful promised that, you would have confidence in 
Him. God promises, and you doubt ! Do you wish a foundation 
more sure than the word of God, Who is infallible ? Yes, yes, He 
has promised. He has written, He has given His word. You insult 
Him if you have not the greatest confidence in Him. — St. Augustin, 

St. Hugh, Bishop of Langres, during one night was 
very much troubled and afflicted in thinking of some evil 
which threatened him. KecoUecting himself, he struck 



212 October. 

his breast^ crying out: ^^Unfortunate that I am! God has 
promised to assist us in all our tribulations^ and I fear! If 
anything of evil happen, will it not be by the permission of 
God, and will I not derive benefit therefrom V^ 

St. Kose of Lima, whose mother was naturally timid and 
fearful, inherited this weakness herself. She dared not go 
from one room to another alone without a light, unless she 
prayed; then she ceased to fear, or overcame it. One even- 
ing she retired into the garden to pray, and remaining 
longer than usual, her mother became alarmed and went to 
seek her. But, being afraid to go alone, she begged her 
husband to accompany her. When Eose saw them she 
excused herself, and returning with them, made this reflec- 
tion: ^^My mother, who is timid when alone, has no fear 
when with her husband ; and I, who am accompanied by 
my Divine Spouse — I, who have Him beside me, who have 
Him in my heart, am afraid!'" This thought banished for- 
ever her terror; when thoughts of fear attacked her, she 
said: Non timebo mala, qiioniam tu meciim es, '^1 fear 
nothing, since Thou art with me.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I have the greatest confidence in Thee. Thou 
hast said, I will never abandon thee. I believe Thee, Thou 
Who art truth itself. 

Fourth Day. 

We are certainly convinced that the truths of faith cannot deceive 
us. Nevertheless, we act as if we were not convinced. We consult 
rather what human prudence dictates than faith. Hence the little 
advancement we make in virtue; hence, again, the little success we 
have in affairs which relate to the glory of God. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Antony and St. Francis of Assisi arrived at a high 
degi^ee of perfection, because they followed the counsel of 
the Gospel, ^^If thou wouldst be perfect, sell all, give it to 
the poor, and follow Me.^^ 

St. Joseph Labre, feeling that Our Lord called him to a life 



Confidence. 2 1 3 

abject, poor, and austere, said: ^^I can do all in Him Who 
strengthens me/^ When his mother, perceiving that her son 
fasted often, slept nights on the floor instead of in his bed, 
and practised other mortifications, with maternal affection 
represented to him that he would injure his health, he re- 
plied : '' God calls me to a life of penance and austerity. I 
must begin to walk in the ways of God/^ He asked per- 
mission to leave his home to follow his vocation to penance. 
She refused, saying that he would have no means of subsis- 
tence. ^^Let me go, mother, ^^ he pleaded. "I will live 
on roots, as did the anchorites. With the grace of God we 
can live as they did.^^ He obeyed grace, he lived by faith; 
had he not reason to rejoice ? 

Prayer, 

My God, grant that in all things I may consult faith, 
that I live by faith. I will do all that Thou askest of me. 
I trust Thou wilt come to my assistance. 

Fifth Day. 

It is absolutely necessary for our sanctification, and to be useful 
in the sanctification of others, to accustom ourselves to follow the 
beautiful light of faith, accompanied always by that unction which 
Imperceptibly fills the heart. Certain it is that it is only eternal 
truths which are capable of filling our hearts and of conducting us 
in the sure path. Believe me, it is suflQcient to establish well this 
foundation to arrive in a short time at perfection, and to be able to 
do great things. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Philip Neri regarded prayer as an efficacious means 
to succeed in any undertaking. ^' When I have the time 
to pray much, I hope to obtain whatever grace I ask of God, 
relying entirely on His promise: ^AU things whatsoever 
you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.^ ^' 

It is related of St. Francis of Assisi that his brother, 
seeing him one day, in the midst of winter, barefooted and 
lightly clad, to ridicule him, sent a child to ask him if he 
would sell an ounce of his sweat. The saint replied, smil- 



214 October. 

ing: ^^Go tell my brother that I have sold it all to Him 
Who is my Saviour and my God, and that He has given 
me a good price for it." 

The Blessed John of Avila professed the greatest poverty 
in order to preach the Gospel more efficaciously. He said 
he found great consolation in these words of Our Saviour, 
'^ Seek first the kingdom of God/^ and that this maxim 
had never failed him. 

Prayer, 
My God, I will always, in all things, follow the light of 
faith, and do nothing without recommending it to Thee. 
Come to my help. 

Sixth Day. 

O God of my soul, who will give me words to express clearly all 
that Thou givest to those who confide perfectly in Thee, and, on 
the contrary, all that they lose who confide in themselves, or who 
take pride in themselves for having been long faithful to grace and 
loaded with favors from Heaven ? — Bt. Teresa. 

^^ Lucifer, the chief of angels, fell from heaven. Judas — 
after having been chosen an apostle, and hearing for some 
years the words of eternal life from the mouth of Jesus 
Christ — became a deicide. Let us tremble and not cease to 
fear,^^ said a saint. 

When St. Teresa abounded in consolations, she addressed 
herself to God as follows: ^^0 my God, how canst Thou 
pour Thy graces into so unclean a vase ? What! hast Thou 
forgotten so quickly my sins V 

'' To what do you attiibute your fall V^ said St. Philip 
Neri to those who, having served God for a length of time, 
accused themselves of grave faults. '^ Know that it is your 
pride. If you had been humble, you would not have 
fallen. If you would rise again, humble yourself much/' 

Prayer, 
My God, how good, how liberal art Thou to those who, 
humbling themselves^ trust in Thee ! I will not cease to 



Confidence. 215 

fear, because I am weak. I will not cease to confide in 
Thee, because Thou art my Father. 

Seventh Day. 

He who relies upon himself alone makes a great mistake. A Su- 
perior, for example, or a preacher, or a confessor, confiding in his 
own wisdom, his own knowledge or talent, will find that, to show 
how insufficient he is of himself, God will withdraw His assistance, 
and will iet him act for himself. As a consequence, with all his pains, 
the result of his labors will be very small. With many who do not 
succeed in their undertakings, this is often the cause. — Bt. Vincent de 
Paul. 

We see that those saints whom Our Lord made use of 
for the sanctification of souls had the lowest opinion of 
themselves. St. Vincent Ferrer said of himself: ^^lam 
like a corpse full of worms, and ought to be an object of 
horror to every one. An.d what augments my malice is that 
every day I grow worse/^ St. Dominic was persuaded 
that his sins ought to bring down the judgment of God 
wherever he dwelt. St. Vincent de Paul often said to God : 
^' Lord, I will ruin everything if Thou dost not regulate 
all my words and all my actions. ^^ St. Francis Xavier re- 
garded himself as the most wicked of all men. 

St. Jane Frances said, upon an occasion when a religious 
did not wish to accept the position of Superior to which 
she had been elevated: ^^ If a dry and barren stick ol wood 
could humble and abase itself before God, and were tlien 
chosen for Superior, the Divine Majesty would give this 
stick sufficient intelligence rather than permit it to 
govern illy.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I am in Thy eyes but a vase full of evil. Deign 
to regulate my mind and my heart, all my words and all 
my works. Without Thy grace I can do no good, only evil. 
Thou wilt give it to me, because I will humble myselt and 
will not cease to ask it of Thee. 



2 1 6 October. 



Eighth Day. 

Let us endeavor to conceive a great diffidence in ourselves, and 
always to have this truth present to our mind, that of ourselves we 
are good for nothing, that we can but spoil the designs of God. If 
we keep this thought in view, it will cause us to depend entirely 
upon God and bring us often to Him to obtain His help.— ;8^. Vin- 
cent de Paul. 

Father Dupont has said that those causes which were 
for many a subject of discouragement^ as the consideration 
of our weakness, or human frailties, or sins committed, 
augmented rather than lessened his confidence in God, 
because it obliged him to meditate upon the goodness and 
mercy of God, to Whom he had consecrated all that he was 
and all that he had. 

Some one asked Wenceslaus,. king of Bohemia, when 
his army was destroyed and he himself made prisoner, 
what was the state of his mind. He replied that he had 
never been more tranquil before in his life. He gave as 
his reason: "When I was surrounded by human aid, I 
scarcely had time to think of God; but now, when deprived 
of it, I place all my confidence in Him. I firmly trust 
that He will not abandon me.^^ 

St. Philip Neri advised those whom he directed to say 
frequently: "Do not trust me, my God. I shall certainly 
fall if Thou dost not come to my help. Aid me; of myself 
I can only do evil./^ 

Prayer. 

Oom.e to my help, assist me continually, Lord. When 
left to myself I can only offend Thee. I place all my con- 
fidence in Thee. Thou wilt not abandon me; I ask it 
through the merits of my Saviour. 



Confidence. 217 



Ninth Day. 

I exhort you not to depend upon the friendship or the protection 
of men ; of themselves they are not capable of helping us. When 
Our Saviour sees that we depend upon them, He departs from us.— 
Bt, Vincent de Paul. 

This saint not only did not seek the protection or sup- 
port of the greats but frequently refused it when volun- 
tarily offered to him. The governor of a certain city 
begged him to intercede for him at the court that he 
might be successful in some affair he had undertaken, and 
promised in return that he would protect, as far as in his 
power, the sainVs missionaries who were being molested by 
some parties at that time. The saint replied: '^1 will 
serve you as far as depends upon myself; but as to the con- 
gregation for which you promise to intercede, I beg of you 
to leave it in the hands of God and of justice." He made 
it a rule to seek for nothing through the favor of men. 

The brother of St. Jane Frances, who was archbishop of 
Bourges, desired her to write to the Queen, who had recom- 
mended herself to her prayers and those of her Order, say- 
ing that it might be beneficial to her to have such a pro- 
tectress. The saint replied to her brother that she would 
pray for her Majesty, but refused to write, saying to her 
religious: ^^I cannot and ought not to do it. We should 
remain humble and live a hidden life. We will not seek to 
attract the esteem of the great. If we do our duty to them 
by praying for their preservation, for their prosperity, and 
especially for their salvation, God, Who takes care of all, 
will dispose them favorably towards us when we need their 
protection." 

St. Teresa said one day: ^^ I understand now more than 
ever that there is no reliance to be placed upon the prom- 
ises of men. The only Friend in Whom alone I can confide 
is Jesus Christ. When I lean upon Him I am strong, I 
feel that I could resist all the world if opposed to me." 



2i8 October. 

Prayer. 

Lord, Thou art my refuge, my strength. I will confide 
in Thee, I will always depend on Thee alone. 

Tenth Day. 

Those persons who proceed in the management of then- affairs 
with artifice or dissimuhition sin against the providence ( C God, and 
render themselves unvrorthy of His paternal care, while God protects 
those who walk with simplicity. — St. Vincent de PauL 

A wicked page was jealous of another page, who by his 
piety had won the esteem and affection of the king, and 
determined to destroy him. He accused him of a criminal 
attachment for the queen. The king, believing this calumny, 
was terribly indignant. He resolved to put the pious page, 
whom he looked upon as a monster of ingratitude, to death 
at once. Having sent secretly for the master of a forge, a 
man capable of any crime, he said to him: ^^ To-morrow 
morning I shall send a page who will ask you, ^ Have you exe- 
cittecl the king^s orders?^ You will then instantly throw 
him into the fire, as I have reasons for destroying him.^^ 
The master of the forge promised to obey to the letter. 
The next day the king called the innocent page, who knew 
nothing of that of which he had been accused, and ordered 
him to go to the forge and deliver the message. The page, 
making a respectful inclination, started to obey. But God 
protects His own. On his way he passed a church where 
Mass was about to be said, and he entered and assisted at 
the Mass. Another Mass followed, and as there was no one 
to serve it, he offered to do so. While his devotion thus 
kept him in the church, the king became impatient, and 
said to the wicked page : " I am anxious to know if the man 
at the forge has done as I commanded; hasten there and 
ask him if he has executed my orders.^^ He departed 
immediately, and arriving there he asked: ''Have you 
executed the hinges orders?-^ ^* I will do so instantly,^^ 
the man replied. Seizing the unfortunate page, he threw 



Confidence. 219 

him into the furnace. The innocent one, arriving some 
time afterwards, was told to go back and tell the king that 
he had been obeyed. Imagine the king's astonishment 
upon beholding the page whom he supposed was dead. 
He asked him where he stopped by the way. His truthful 
reply, while discovering his piety, also manifested his inno- 
cence. The king esteemed and loved him from henceforth, 
and thanked God that He had permitted the imposture to 
be discovered and punished. 

Prayer. 

Lord, Thou hatest those who dissimulate, and Thou 
lovest those who walk in simplicity; let me never use arti- 
fice or deceit. 

Eleventh Day. 

God takes care of those who place aU their thoughts in Him and 
depend interiorly on Him, serving Him with great fidelity. He pro- 
tects us in proportion as our confidence is great. He comes to our 
help in every danger, having an infinite love for souls who rest in 
Him. — BU Francis of Sales, 

St. Hugh, bishop, said that he frequently experienced 
that the more he devoted himself to the service of God, the 
more Our Lord granted him those temporal things which 
were necessary or useful for him. 

St. Francis of Assisi and his sons had nothing, yet they 
never suffered for clothing to cover them nor for food to 
sustain them. When he sent his companions anywhere to 
preach, he addressed them in the words of the prophet: 
Jacta super Domimtm cnram tuam et ipse te enutriety 
^^ Cast your care upon the Lord, and He will sustain you.^' 
In speaking of his community and of God, he would say: 
" We have a mother who is very poor, but we have a Father 
Who is very rich.^^ 

Our Lord spoke thus to one of his saints: ^^ Think of 
Me. and I will think of thee and take care of all thy con- 
cerns/^ 



2 20 October. 

Prayer. 
My God, Thou art my Father; I have great confidence 
in Thee. Thou wilt not abandon me. Thou wilt take care 
of me because I will serve Thee faithfully. 

Twelfth Day. 

He who serves God with a pure heart and seeks only His glory 
may always hope that what he undertakes for God will meet with 
success. He has a better foundation for that hope even when, 
judging humanly, there is little chance of success, because the works 
which regard the service of God are above the judgment of human 
wisdom; they depend upon a higher power. — 8i. Charles Borromeo, 

This holy cardinal had recourse to God by prayer in 
every circumstance. By prayer he commenced and ter- 
minated everything he did, and the more difficult the under- 
taking the more he prayed. When it seemed that he might 
almost despair of success, he redoubled his supplications 
to God without losing confidence. The Lord accordingly 
blessed all his enterprises; to the great astonishment of all, 
he succeeded where everything seemed hopeless. Wishing 
to inspire a person to have confidence in God, he one day 
related the following which had happened shortly before : 
^^ He who has charge of the affairs of my house came to me 
lamenting that he had no money and that he knew not how 
he was to meet the necessary expenses. He begged of me 
to be more sparing in giving alms or in giving to other 
works of piety, adding that unless I did so I would be 
completely ruined. I replied that if he trusted in God, He 
would come to his assistance. This did not satisfy him, 
and he went away very discontented. Two hours after I 
received a package of letters, among which was a draft for 
money from Spain. I sent for my economical housekeeper. 
Giving him the money, I said: ^Take this, man of little 
faith. Do you now acknowledge that Our Lord has not 
forsaken us ? ^ ^^ The saint added : '' The reception of this 
money was truly a special providence in my regard. The 
sum of one thousand crowns, it is true, was due me, but 



Confidence. 221 

not for two months later. Haye great confidence in God 
— I do not say a presumptuous one; it must be regulated 
by Christian prudence/^ 

Prayer, 
My God, grant that I may serve Thee with a pure heart; 
that I may seek only Thy glory. Thou wilt come to my 
help in all my needs, because Thou art my Father. 

Thirteenth Day. 

It is particularly in great necessities that we should show that we 
truly confide in God. Believe me, three workmen will do more 
than ten when God lends His hand; and He will always do this 
whenever He takes away human means and we are necessitated to do 
that which is beyond our strength. — Bt. Vmcent de Paul. 

The steward of the house said one day to this saint that 
he had not a cent for the ordinary expenses, nor for those 
of an ordination which would soon take place. He replied 
with tranquil heart and face serene, full of confidence in 
God: ^'Oh, what good news! Blessed be God! Now is 
the time to prove that we trust in His goodness. The 
treasures of Providence are infinite ; our distrust dishonors 
Him.^^ 

Prayer. 
I ask not riches, my God, but what Thou knowest to 
be necessary for me. Thou art my Father, a Father in- 
finitely rich; lam Thy child. 

Fourteenth Day. 

When one proposes to undertake something belonging to the ser- 
vice of God, having invoked His light, certain that it is His will, 
we must make use of the human means which are necessary and 
proper to execute the orders of Divine Providence ; nevertheless, it 
is not upon these mean we must rely, but solely upon the divine 
assistance; from this we must expect success, being well persuaded 
that whatever may happen will be for our advantage. — St. Vincent de 
Paul, 

A person recommending himself to the prayers of the 
saint, he replied: ^^ I have been all the morning so occupied 



222 October. 

with business that I have had little or no time for prayer, 
and even during that prayer I was much distracted; how- 
ever, I am not discouraged. I am certain that the throne 
of the goodness and mercy of God is built upon the founda- 
tion of our miseries/^ 

St. Ignatius, in all his undertakings, labored as if all 
depended upon himself, and he placed all his confidence in 
God, as if all depended upon God. 

Prayer. 

My Cod, I place my confidence in Thee alone. If Thou 
dost not assist me, nothing will prosper; if Thou dost assist 
me, all will succeed. I ask first the kingdom of heaven, 
persuaded that all else will be added. 

Fifteenth Day. 

In the different employments and in the cares which attend them, 
we must not be disquieted nor act with haste. Devote a reasonable 
and moderate attention to them, and then leave them to Divine 
Providence, giving place to Him to regulate things and manifest 
His will. Be certain that when God wills that an undertaking suc- 
ceed, delay never harms it; there is always more of Him in propor- 
tion as there is less of ourselves in it. — St. YiJicent de Paul, 

The practice of this saint was to employ human help, no 
matter how seemly or necessary it might be, only after 
having had recourse to the divine. He recommended his 
affairs much to God, remaining tranquil that God might 
direct all to His own ends and greater glory. He was ac- 
customed to say that matters succeeded well when we fol- 
low them, not precede them. One of the Ladies of 
Charity, full of zeal, begged him with much importunity 
to look for persons for the establishment of the Congrega- 
tion of the Daughters of Charity. He felt that it would 
be difficult to find such as he thought suited for this work. 
Therefore, regardless of her prayers, he remained quiet, 
only having recourse to God by fervent prayers, waiting 
for Providence to discover some means to establish a 



Confidence. 223 

society so useful. Events proved that he had acted wisely 
in deferring the matter. When the time came he made 
use of the favorable moment the Lord presented and the 
matter succeeded admirably. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will undertake nothing without having first 
recommended it to Thee. I beseech Thee make Thy will 
known, because I will only what is Thy will. 

Sixteenth Day. 

To seek eagerly or with much haste to provide against the acci- 
dents of life, or remedy those which attend us, shows a great want of 
confidence in God. In thus providing for ourselves we show that 
we confide more in our own care than in His protection, and that 
we rely more on human wisdom than on His Word. — St, Vincent de 
Paul. 

Father Alvarez was the rector of a very poor college, and 
the Father who had charge of the household often came to 
him, relating the pressing needs of the house, and con- 
cluding always by saying there was but one thing to be 
done, to abandon the college. The holy rector, who con- 
fided greatly in Providence, asked him if he had recom- 
mended his affairs to God. The Father replied that he had 
not the time to pray. " It is the first thing you should 
have done/^ replied Father Alvarez. "Hasten now to con- 
sult God by praying for some time. Do you think this 
flock has no Master ? or a Master Who wills not that those 
who belong to Him should live ? Go in peace, and believe 
that all does not depend upon our industry. ^^ The Father 
obeyed, and it always happened, said he, that Providence 
provided for their wants by means which often appeared 
miraculous. 

Prayer. 

I firmly believe, my God, that Thou wilt think of me, 
wilt \vatch over me, if I am faithful. Thou art the best 



224 October. 

of masters. I will confide in Thee. Thou wilt conduct me, 
and nothing will fail me. 

Seventeenth Day. 

When we have undertaken a work for God, certain that it is His 
will, it is necessary to be courageous and persevere to the end, no 
matter how multiplied or great the obstacles may be. Divine Prov- 
idence never fails in things which we have commenced by His 
order. — St. Vincent de Paul, 

Never was this saint discouraged by difficulties. In pro- 
portion as he saw obstacles^ he showed more constancy 
and resolution. 

St. Jane Frances said of St. Francis of Sales that she 
never knew a soul stronger or more generous when there 
was question of carrying out an enterprise which God had 
inspired him to undertake. St. Francis Xavier hastened 
to wherever he saw something to be done for the honor 
of God, fearing neither difficulty nor peril. This is why 
he succeeded in all he undertook. 

Prayer. 
My God, I can do all things if Thou strengthen me. If 
Thou art with me who will be against me ? Obstacles shall 
never prevent me from doing what I know Thou desirest, 
what is Thy will. 

Eighteenth Day. 

Let us place our confidence in God and establish ourselves in an 
entire dependence on Him. Then fear not what men may say or 
do against us, all will turn to our advantage. Yes, if all the earth 
should rise up against us, nothing will happen but as God pleases, 
in Whom we have established our hopes. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

A missionary of his congregation having written to the 
saint that some powerful persons were endeavoring to de- 
stroy the society^ he replied, " Let us firmly establish our- 
selves in an entire dependence on the holy providence of 
God; let us not be alarmed by these idle fears; f or thQ 
rest, nothing will happen but as God wills.^^ 



Confidence. 225 

Prayer. 
My God, I depend entirely on Thy providence. I place 
in Thee my hope. Nothing will happen to me except as 
Thou wilt. I will bless Thee for all. I desire only to do 
Thy will, to please Thee. 

Nineteenth Day. 

Weak souls, who are filled with self-love and a desire to be es- 
teemed, at the first sign of the slightest calumny take fire, burn 
with indignation, and cannot recover their peace without many 
words escaping them. It is not thus with generous souls, who seek 
only to please God. They know well that God sees their innocence, 
and that He will not fail to defend them in the way which is most 
for their good. — Bt. Augustin. 

St. Francis of Sales wrote to the Bishop of Belley as fol- 
lows : " I have learned that in Paris they have torn my 
reputation in a most beautiful manner, but I hope that 
God will mend it so that it will be better than ever, if that 
be necessary for His service. I desire no other reputation 
than what is necessary for that. Provided that God is 
served, what matters it to me if it be done with a good or a 
bad reputation ? '' Let him dispose of me as He wills, since 
I belong to Him. If my abjection serves for His glory, 
should I not glory in being lowly and despised? 

At another time a great calumny was invented against 
this saint in a matter of chastity. He did not try to jus- 
tify himself, dear as this virtue was to him, of that of which 
he was accused. His friends, astonished that he did not 
defend himself, endeavored to convince him that he was 
obliged to do so. "A good reputation,^^ said they, ^^is 
necessary that our ministry be not unfruitf ul.^^ He only 
replied, '^ God knows what good name I need for my min- 
istry; I desire no more.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I will seek in all things to please Thee. I be- 
long to Thee, dispose of me as Thou wilt. Dost Thov; will 



226 October, 

that I be persecuted, despised ? If it be for Thy glory I am 
resigned, I will it, I desire it. 

Twentieth Day. 

When one places all his confidence in God, God favors him with 
a special protection, and he may be sure nothing evil will happen to 
him. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre, placing all his confidence in 
God, wrote thus to his parents: *^Be not anxious in my 
regard; I am happy because the All-powerful conducts me.^' 
Did God abandon him ? Did He not always give him proof 
of the most singular protection ? If he was poor, it was 
because he wished to be so. He was content to ask, about 
the middle of the day, at the door of some charitable per- 
son, for a little soup to nourish his body, to which with 
truth he gave the name of corpse; and he had always plenty 
besides, so numerous were the alms he was forced to accept 
from the many poor who followed him. Notwithstanding 
the mortifications which he inflicted on himself, what 
sweet consolations inundated his soul during his prayer 
which never ceased, and in what a very short time has not 
Our Lord made famous throughout the Christian world the 
name of him who, during his life, sought only to be ig- 
nored and despised! The holy beggar has reason to rejoice 
that he followed the call of grace and confided so perfectly 
in God. 

Prayer. 

Lord, I place all my confidence in Thee. What evil can 
befall me? Thou wilt take me under Thy protection; 
Thou wilt come to my aid; Thou wilt fill me with the high- 
est good. 



Confidence. 227 



Twenty-first Day. 

When we have placed ourselves entirely in the hands of God by an 
entire confidence, we need have no longer any fear of adversity. If 
Our Lord permits any to happen to us, He can turn it to our advan- 
tage by ways which we do not understand now, but which we will 
understand some day. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

The following happened to St. Francis of Sales while a 
young man in Rome. He was lodging in a hotel which was 
on the bank of the Tiber. One night he heard those who 
were in his company disputing with the landlord. This 
man, who was very avaricious, desired the party and their 
master, St. Francis, to go elsewhere and give up their place 
to some parties who had Just arrived and whom he consid- 
eredof great distinction. The dispute would have ended in 
a fight had not St. Francis said to his domestics with much 
sweetness: " The landlord is master; since he will not lodge 
us here, let us go elsewhere.^^ They then took all belonging 
to them, and found another place at a distance from the 
Tiber. Hardly had they arrived there than the rain fell 
in torrents, the river overflowed its banks, the hotel which 
the saint was compelled to leave was destroyed, and not a 
person in it escaped alive. 

St. Ignatius, on his return from the Holy Land, arriv- 
ing at Cyprus, wished to embark for Italy. Three vessels 
were ready to depart. One was a Turkish, one a Venetian, 
— a large, strong boat, — the third was old, small, and badly 
equipped. Some persons asked the master of the Venetian 
vessel to take Ignatius for the love of God, assuring him 
it would be to his advantage, as he was a saint. He refused, 
because he saw Ignatius w^as poor and no one offered to pay 
for him. ^^If he is a saint,^^ said he, ^^ he has no need of a 
vessel to cross the sea. Let him do as other saints have done 
— walk over it.^^ Ignatius was then obliged to go on the poor 
vessel, where he was received for charity and shown much 
respect. The three vessels started with a favorable wind. 
In a short time a furious tempest arose on the sea. The 



228 October, 

Turkish vessel was lost; the Venetmn one was thrown on a 
sand-bank^ where it went to pieces; hut the vessel which 
held the saint, and which seemed the one that most natur- 
ally would be the first to perish, arrived safely in port. It 
is thus that the Lord favors with His protection His ser- 
vants who confide in Him even when He seems to send 
them afflictions. 

Prayer, 

My God, I place myself in Thy hands. I confide in 
Thee. I fear no adversity. If any befall me, I hope Thou 
wilt turn it to my salvation. 

Twenty-second Day. 

When we fiod ourselves in danger we should not lose courage, but 
confide much in Our Lord. The greater the peril, the nearer is the 
help of Him Who calls Himself our aid in tribulation. — Si. Amirose. 

St. Ignatius was on the sea at one time when a great tem- 
pest arose. The sails of the vessel were torn to pieces; all 
on board, except the saint, were in fright and tears; they 
expected nothing but death. St. Ignatius alone was tran- 
quil and without fear. He was calm because these words 
were present to his mind: '^Tlie tvinds and the sea obey the 
LordJ' ^' The tempest did not arise without His permis- 
sion," he said, "'^and without it we cannot be lost. The 
Lord is master. If He wills that I perish in the waters, I 
consent, I will it. I confide in His mercy.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, grant that I may not lose courage in the time 
of danger. I will remember then that Thou art called our 
help in trihdation, and I will confide in Thee. When I 
walk in the shadow of death, I will not fear the dangers 
that threaten me, remembering that Thou art with me. 



Confidence. 229 

Twenty-third Day. 

He who does not lose courage in unexpected disasters, but has 
immediate recourse to God with confidence, shows that this virtue 
is deeply rooted in him. — Bodriguez. 

St. Columba once found himself suddenly surrounded by 
twelve wolves, who were about to devour him. He was 
not affrighted at this terrible sight, but invoked Our Lord 
with great confidence, saying, "0 God, come to my assis- 
tance. Lord, make haste to help me."^ Hardly had he 
pronounced these words than God heard his prayer, and 
the wolves took to flight. 

A soldier once raised his sword to give St. Martin a 
blow on the head, when, perceiving that the saint showed 
no sign of fear, he exclaimed : "What ! you do not fear T^ 
" Why should I fear T' replied the saint. " Death is not an 
evi]; I look upon it as a gain. Far from fearing it, I desire 
it.^^ 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre was j^assing along one of the 
streets of Rome where were gathered a number of young peo- 
ple of the lowest class, when these shouted after him and 
insulted him. He appeared not to notice it. They followed 
him, throwing stones at him. Still he went on. One of 
the stones struck him on the leg, and caused the blood to 
flow, but the servant of God did not turn in his course, 
nor make any sign that he felt the blow. 

Some one asked the Abbe Theodore, a man of eminent 
sanctity, whether he would not fear should some terrible 
and unexpected commotion of nature take place, "^o^^ 
replied he; '^^if the entire world should crumble and the 
heavens unite with the earth, Theodore would not trem- 
ble.'^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may not lose courage in adversity. 
I will often say in that time, Lord, come to my succor, 
make haste to help me. 



2 ^o October. 



Twenty- FOURTH Day. 

He who places himself in the arms of Providence and abandons 
himself to its guidance, goes in a carriage and does not feel the 
weight of the cross he carries. He who does not, goes on foot and 
fatigues himself greatly. — 8t. Basil. 

There was in a small town of Italy a young girl, very poor, 
who was an invalid and obliged to remain all the time 
in the same position on a miserable bed. Persons who vis- 
ited her were greatly edified, as she seemed content and 
never complained. Some persons speaking in her presence of 
a great famine with which Italy was threatened, she appeared 
to take no notice of it. ^^How,^^ said they, "can you be 
so tranquil in the midst of so much misery ?^^ She an- 
swered: '' All my thoughts are placed in God. I am like a 
little bird under the wings of His providence. What have 
I to fear, or why should I trouble myself ?^^ 

Prayer. 

Lord, I throw myself into the arms of Thy providence; 
I abandon myself to Thy guidance. Oh, how sweet amid 
the most violent storms to repose on Thy heart! 



Twenty- FIFTH Day. 

A servant of God should fear nothing in the whole world, not 
even tbe demons. When the demons perceive that they are de- 
spised, they lose their strength and we are the masters. If the Lord 
is all-powerful and the demons are His slaves, what harm can they 
do those who serve so great a King? — St. Teresa. 

This saint was naturally timid, but considering one day 
how foolish it was to fear anything but the displeasure of 
God, a Master so great and so powerful, Who governed all 
things, and Whom she desired ardently to serve, wishing 
only to please Him, she said to herself: ^"^ Why do you fear? 
Of what are you afraid?^^ Taking a crucifix in her hands, 
she defied all the demons, saying : '^ Come, come all of you. 



Confidence, 231 

I am the servant of the Lord. I wish to see what you can 
make me do/^ From that moment she feared nothing. 
She made no more account of demons than she would of 
flies. So she herself tells us. 

Prayer. 

My God, Thou art my Master, a Master infinitely good 
and powerful. I love Thee more than I fear Thee. I 
fear only to offend Thee. As to men or demons, I will 
fear them not ; they can only do to me as Thou wilt. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

No matter how great or how multiplied the sins may be we have 
committed, we should never despair of our salvation nor lose con- 
fidence in God, because the divine clemency is infinitely greater 
than the malice of man. — S)t. John Chrysostom. 

St. Bernard, being sick, was tempted to despair. "I 
have done nothing," he said, '^to merit heaven." In order 
to banish this tbotight, which was ever present to his mind, 
he addressed himself to God, and said : ^' my God, I 
know that I have not earned Paradise by my works. I am 
not worthy of this great happiness, but two things make 
me hope for a place therein — I am Thy child, and Jesus 
Christ has died for me." 

^' Have confidence," said a priest to a sinner who de- 
spaired. " Have confidence. Jesus Christ is continually 
before His Father occupied in interceding for our salvation. 
Each time that we soil our hearts by criminal thoughts 
He offers in expiation his most pure heart ; each time we 
sin by our actions He offers His pierced hands. We never 
commit a sin that He does not immediately seek to appease 
His divine Father, so that if we sincerely repent we obtain 
pardon." 

At the remembrance of his grievous sins a criminal fell 
into despair and obstinately refused to confess them. St. 
Vincent Ferrer hastened to visit him. He said to him.* 



232 October. 

^^ My dear brother, you know that Jesus Christ died for 
you, and yet you despair of His mercy ! What an insult 
you offer to His goodness towards you/^ The unfortunate 
man replied in a manner worthy of a demon : " I wish to 
be damned to displease Jesus Christ/'' ^^ And I/^ said the 
saint, " to please Him, will save you/^ Turning to those 
who were around, he asked them all to say the rosary to 
obtain through the intercession of the Mother of God the 
conversion of this obstinate sinner. Their prayers were 
not unheeded. Mary showed her great influence with her 
divine Son; the heart so hard was softened, and the crim- 
inal was perfectly converted. The man so near final im- 
penitence confessed to the saint, and died the death of a 
holy penitent. 

Prayer. 
My God, I hope in Thee, though there is nothing in me 
to merit heaven. I hope in Thee because Thou art my 
Father and I am Thy child; because Jesus Christ has died 
for me, and because I offer Thee His merits. For me He 
offers Thee His pure heart. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

This is something to console souls in spiritual dryness, or when 
tempted. One purpose of not sinning made during that time is of 
more value in the scales of God than a thousand acts of virtue made 
with greatest fervor in a time of consolation. — John of Avila. 

St. Catharine of Siena^ fatigued by horrible temptations, 
felt herself upon the border of a precipice ; she imagined 
her heart was attached to God by so slight a bond that it 
was ready to break away entirely. Nevertheless, at that 
very time she was most pleasing in the eyes of Our Lord. 

St. Francis of Sales during a long time suffered violent 
attacks from a temptation, which made him very unhappy. 
He wrote to St. Jane Frances as follows: "I am much 
tempted; I imagine I have not the strength necessary 
to resist if the occasion presented itself; but the more I 



Confidence, 233 

feel my feebleness the more my confidence in God in- 
creases, being assured that even in the presence of the 
objects which tempt me God will give me courage to over- 
come my enemies." 

Prayer. 

My God, I will often say, from the bottom of my heart, 
for all the goods of earth I would not commit the least sin. 
Death, a thousand deaths, rather than displease Thee. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

The Lord sends temptations for your good. It is a sign that He 
takes special care of you, and it should be for you a motive to con- 
fide in Him. — St. John CJirysostom. 

A pious person who was almost unceasingly afflicted 
with great temptations said to an enlightened and expe- 
rienced priest: ^^Why does God permit me to be hardly 
ever without temptation T' The minister of God animated 
her confidence by speaking of the merciful designs of God 
in regard to His servants. He explained it in this manner: 
^'According to St. Jerome temptations are useful to try us. 
In a time of peace we cannot be sure that our fidelity to 
God is the effect of real virtue; but he who while battling 
with temptation perseveres, proves clearly that he is faith- 
ful to God because he loves Him.^^ 

^^Temptations are useful for us,^^ says St. Bernard, ^^to 
teach us humility.^^ Humility is so necessary, and it at- 
tracts so many graces ! He who, like St. Paul, is ready to 
fall at each step, knowing his own weakness, humbles him- 
self and acknowledges the great need he has of God^s help, 
and will not cease to have recourse to Him. 

"Temptations are useful to purify us from our imper- 
fections and our faults,^' said the pious Gerson. "When 
the sea is agitated by tempests it rejects from its bosom all 
the impurities it had received. ^^ It is the same with him 
who is tempted; he is cleansed of the sins with which he 



234 October. 

was defiled, the punishment he merited for them is remit- 
ted, for he has then his purgatory. 

^^Temptations are necessary to strengthen us/^ said the 
Abbe Nil. The more a tree is shaken by the wind the 
more firmly it is rooted in the ground. The apostle St. 
Paul begged the Lord to deliver him from the angel of 
Satan who made him suffer in a manner as perilous as it 
was humiliating. The Lord replied that virtue was per- 
fected in infirmity. 

" Temptations which we resist increase our merit and 
make us more worthy of a more brilliant crown/^ said St. 
Gregory. In a word, they produce in us many acts of vir- 
tue which are agreeable to God. St. Dorothy made known 
to her director that she was besieged by great temptations. 
He was touched with compassion and said he would ask 
Our Lord to take them from her. " No, I beg of you ask 
for me rather the grace to come out victorious from this 
terrible combat," said she. " These temptations make me 
suffer, but I know they are for my good; they compel me 
to have recoui'se to God by prayer, and make me practise 
mortification." A holy person having been delivered from 
a temptation which had long assailed him, complained lov- 
ingly to God: "My Lord, am I no longer worthy to suffer, 
to be afflicted for love of Thee ?" St. Ephrem, according 
to St. John Climacus, being left at peace after having 
passed through many temptations, begged God to permit 
him to have still more combats with the enemy of our sal- 
vation that he might have still greater reward in heaven by 
giving greater proofs of his love. 

Prayer, 

My God, I believe it is for my good that Thou sendest 
me temptations. Grant that I may enter into Thy designs, 
and that these temptations serve to humble, purify, and 
strengthen me, and to increase my merit. 



Confidence. 235 



Twenty- NINTH Day. 

We must not speak much of temptations, especially of those 
against purity and faith, nor must we give them too much attention. 
The demon when tempting some persons knows well that they will 
not consent; but he hopes that by suggesting evil they will take up 
arms to defend themselves. This is for him a kind of glory from 
which he expects to gain an advantage. We must despise the 
temptation and the tempter by promptly giving our mind to some- 
thing else without being troubled or distressed. — St. John Chrysostom, 

This saint saiH the devil is like a big dog that sees a 
traveller that he does not know. At first the dog only 
barks; but should the traveller try to pacify him and give 
him some bread, he approaches, and will not leave till he 
gets something else. If the man throws stones and then 
runs, the dog barks still more and pursues him, because he 
seems afraid; but if he lets the dog howl without hasten- 
ing his steps, without showing any fear, or paying any 
attention to him, he will soon cease his barking and 
follow him no further. It is thus you must act in tempta- 
tions, continued the saint. Do not stop to appease or pacify, 
do not seek to combat them, but having given yourself to 
God with all your heart, occupy yourself interiorly with 
other things, act tranquilly as though you were not 
tempted. 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre, knowing that a very virtuous 
person was violently tempted, said to him: "Although you 
are afflicted by temptations, fear not ; have good courage. 
God never abandons those who hope in Him. He will not 
permit those who lean on Him to fall.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, permit me not to fall under temptations. In 
temptations 1 will not be troubled, I will hope in Thee 
because Thou art my strength. 



236 October. 

Thirtieth Day. 

Temptations are beneficial to you if you resist them from the 
commencement, if you have recourse to God with much conlidence 
and humility. — Si. Jerome. 

He who does not combat the temptation is already half 
vanquished^ if not entirely, said this Father. It is with a 
temptation as with a spark of fire : if it falls upon the cloth- 
ing, it is easy to extinguish it, to prevent it from doing 
much harm; but if one does not immediately take means 
to arrest its progress, what disastrous consequences will 
follow : 

^^In temptation we must have recourse to God. throwing 
ourselves into His arms, upon His breast, aciing,'* says the 
Abbe John, **as a man would who, being under a great 
tree, sees coming towards him several wild beasts ; he 
mounts the tree to place himself in a secure place. We 
must reflect upon what the Scripture says, that God is 
alwciys at our side to help us.^^ ^^ We must consider/' says 
St. Augustin, ^'that Our Lord sees us, and watches the 
manner in which we fight. *^ When this saint was tempted 
he humbled himself before God, saying, "Lord, I am but 
dust and am weak ; if Thou dost not protect me and take 
me under the shadow of Thy wing, the birds of prey will 
devour me.'^ Again he imagined he saw Our Lord ex- 
horting him to have courage, extending one hand to he'p 
him, and holding in the other a brilliant crown to recom- 
pense him if he was victorious. 

Prayer. 

My God, when I am tempted I will throw myself with 
confidence into Thy arms, I will say with love, My tender 
Father, have pity, save me, or I shall perish. 



Confidence. 537 



Thirty- FIRST Day. 

If a temptation last a long time it would be well to make it known 
to your confessor ; at the same time look lovingly to the Lord as 
your Father. — Father Cagliari. 

St. Jane Frances being yiolently tempted, and in great 
trouble of mind, made known to St. Francis of Sales, her 
director, her condition in these words : " My Father, I 
am oppressed with horrible temptations, and extremely 
afflicted in mind. I find no remedy but unceasingly to 
cast loving glances upon God, abandoning myself entirely 
to Him. Although I do not feel that perfect resig- 
nation, that sweet confidence, that horror of evil I for- 
merly felt, I think, nevertheless, those same virtues have 
become more solid, firmer than before. When I endeavor 
to fortify myself by reasoning, renouncement, or other 
acts, I only expose myself to new temptations, to new 
pains; while if I but fix my eyes upon my Saviour, I feel 
less agitated, less troubled. ^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, if Thou permittest the enemy of my salvation 
to assail me, permit him not to be victorious. my 
tender Father, J love Thee, I will never cease to love Thee ! 



NOVEMBER. 

OliieLrity. 

** Thau Shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart. This 
is the greatest and the first commandment^ and the second is like 
to this : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thysel/?^—ST. Matt. 
XXII. 38. 



First Day. 

O my Saviour and my God, was it necessary that Thou shouldst 
make it a precept to be loved? Art Thou not amiable on account 
of Thy perfections, and dost Thou not deserve all our love for the 
infinite love Thou hast for us? If any one does not love Thee, he is 
not worthy to know Thee. A soul that knows God must love Him, 
and love Him more and more as he knows Him better. — St. Teresa, 

St. Philip Neri often said : ^^ Lord, I do not love Thee, 
because I do not know Thee.^^ 

A great servant of God, who was burning with love for 
Him, suffered a kind of martyrdom during the carnival 
time in seeing so many Christians rejoicing when God was 
so much offended. He exclaimed: ^^Love is not loved, 
Love is not loved. He is not loved because He is not 
known.^^ 

A person of great piety thus made known to her director 
the sentiments of her soul. ^^ A great fire is enkindled in 
my soul when Our Saviour makes known to me in prayer 
how much He deserves to be loved on account of the great 
love He has for us. He loves us first with the same love 
that He has for Himself, because of the grand things He 

233 



Charity. 239 

has done for us and continues to do; secondly, because of 
the great desire He has for our love — so great that it is 
called the folly of love. Alas ! He asks to be known only 
that He may be loved, and He finds no access to our hearts 
because they are not well disposed ; thirdly, because of the 
patience with which He bears the ingratitude of so many 
creatures who will not correspond to the great love He has 
for them. He follows them continually, to be loved, and 
they fly that they may not be loved. When I reflect on 
this I am penetrated with astonishment. A God who gave 
these creatures a heart to love can suffer them to love Him 
not, can love to such an excess creatures so vile ! I am some- 
times filled with sentiments of love ; I would wish for the 
heart of a seraph to love my God. Sometimes I feel 
afflicted when thinking of the many who love not God, and 
of tlie time when I loved Him not. My pain increases when 
I consider that not to love God is to despise His power, 
His wisdom. His charity, His goodness, all His perfections, 
all the mysteries of Jesus Christ; I then beg the infinite 
goodness of God to make Himself known that He may be 
loved. I offer myself to Him with all my heart to enkindle 
in all hearts the fire of His love. These are the sentiments 
which animate me in prayer, and I endeavor to entertain 
them during the day.^^ 

Prayer. 
my God, how can we find pleasure in doing what of- 
fends Thee ? Give me the heart of an angel that I may 
love Thee and cause Thee to be loved. Make use of me 
to enkindle the fire of Thy love in all hearts. 

Second Day. 

When one has placed his whole heart in God, there is no more af- 
fection for earthly things. The grandeur of honors, the distinction 
of riches do not attract it any more; it finds its only consolation, its 
only safety in God. — St. Teresa. 

When St. Bernard found any pleasure in created things, 
he was in confusion, and humbled himself, saying : " The 



240 November. 

love which I have for God is not very ardent ; if it were, I 
would enjoy nothing outside of Him/^ 

St. Catharine of Genoa^ full of love for God, cried out : 
'' No, no more attachment for the world; no more affection 
for all that the world loves. If I were mistress of a thou- 
sand worlds, I would renounce them all that God might be 
the master of my heart/^ 

There was nothing in the heart of St. Ignatius Loyola 
but God, the desire to please Him, and to gain souls to 
Him. 

It is said in the Life of Father Peter John Cayron that 
this holy religious had no other passion than the love of 
God, and to see Him loved by his neighbor. 

Prayer. 

O my God, I return Thee my heart; it belongs to Thee. 
Grant that it may never be attached to things of earth; 
that I find no pleasure but in Thee. 

Third Day. 

Alas ! we have not the love we should have; I mean that we have 
need of an infiuite love in order to love God as He merits ; never- 
theless, unforiuuate that we are, we lavish the little love of which 
we are capable on things miserable and vile, as if we had it to squan- 
der. — aS^. Francis of Sales. 

This great saint thus expressed himself : ^^ If I knew 
there was in my soul only one thread of affection which was 
not of God or for God, I would cut it this moment. I 
would much rather cease to exist than to exist and not 
belong to God without any reserve.^^ 

St. Philip Neri sometimes said : ^^ How is it possible that 
he who believes in God can love anything but God, except 
it be for the love of God ?'' Languishing with love for God, 
he thus addressed Him: " my God, Thou art so lovely, 
yet Thou commandest me to love Thee! Why hast Thou 
given me but one heart, and that heart so smxall a one ?'' 

St. Augustin, animated with love, spoke thus b his soul : 



Charity. 241 

^^ What is there in this world that can please thee, that 
has a right to thy love ? Turn which Avay thou wilt, thou 
wilt see but earth and sky; if in the heavens and on the 
earth thou findest things worthy of thy love, of what love is 
He not worthy Who made all this ? Ask of these things 
which please thee so much who is their author, and in 
admiring the work, love the One Who made them all. Do 
not place your affections on things created, and forget God 
Who is the Creator. my God, Thou art worthy to be 
loved infinitely more than all that is on the earth or in the 
heavens. I renounce all that is perishable lest I lose Thy 
love.^^ 

Prayer. 

my God, if I had a thousand hearts I would give them 
all to Thee. Why hast Thou given me a heart which can- 
not love Thee as Thou deservest to be loved, which can 
attach itself to vanity? Deign to fill with Thy love this 
heart which desires to be all Thine. 

Fourth Day. 

It suffices for a soul that loves God as it ought to love Him to 
know that a thing is right, is for God's glory, to do it immediately, 
without hesitation, with a desire to please God, and to show Him 
its love. O my God, how easy Thou makest the most difficult things 
to those who love Thee ardently, and who abandon all for Thy 
love \—Qt. Teresa, 

This saint ardently desired a reform in her rule in order 
to be more detached from all things and to follow more per- 
fectly her vocation. Nevertheless, she desired it in such a 
spirit that if the Lord had made her understand that He 
wished her to abandon the undertaking entirely, she would 
have done so instantly without any pain. It was to put in 
execution this great desire which burned within her, namely, 
to do only what is most pleasing to God, that impelled 
her to make a vow to do always that which she knew to be 
the most perfect. For many it might be rash to make such 



242 November. 

a vow ; but in doing this, St. Teresa felt that God asked it 
of her. She never failed in one point to keep her vow. 

The Church, in the prayers in which she invokes St. 
Ignatius Loyola, makes us understand that the true and 
distinctive character of this saint was to do all for the 
greater glory of God, and that God chose him to propagate 
this grand design. 

What excess of humiliations and austerities, what fatigues 
and dangers did not St. Joseph Labre undergo to please 
God, because he knew that God asked it of him ! This 
thought, God toills it^ smoothed all difficulties, and made 
easy to him what would otherwise have been most pain- 
ful. He encouraged himself by frequently pronouncing 
these words, God wills it, which became his motto. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will do for Thy love that which will be most 
perfect, all that I know will be most agreeable to Thee. 
I will do nothing but for Thy glory. 

Fifth Day. 

When the love of God takes possession of a soul, it produces an 
insatiable desire to work for Him Whom it loves. No matter what 
it does for God, nor how much time it gives to His service, it seems 
as nothing, and it only laments that it can do so little for Him. 
Love teaches what God deserves. By the light of this flame the soul 
sees all the defects, all the imperfections of its works; penetrated 
with confusion, it feels how unworthy of so great a God it is to work 
so imperfectly. In this light it cannot overestimate itself, nor find 
fault with others. — St. John Chrysostom. 

St. Vincent de Paul, who never ceased to do great things 
for God that he might please Him^ always looked upon 
himself not only as useless and idle, but as a wicked ser- 
vant. Sometimes when he recollected those words of the 
Apostle, though they certainly did not apply to him, ^^ Let 
him who does not work, not eat,^^ he deprived himself of 
his meal at midday, going until night without nourish- 
ment. 



d 



Charity, 243 

St. Charles Borromeo had a great desire to see God 
honored, and seized every opportunity to procure for Him 
true adorers. To succeed in this to what laborious under- 
takings did he not give himself ! A change from one hard 
labor to another was his only relaxation; nevertheless, he 
spoke as if he did nothing, that he deserved, like the idle 
stevrard^ to be condemned to eternal darkness. 

Prayer, 

my God, what an indignity not always to labor for 
Thee, and in the most perfect manner ! Alas ! in all my 
works there are faults ; have pity on this useless servant, 
who will commence now to serve Thee. 

Sixth Day. 

He who has arrived at a perfect love of God feels neither glory 
nor disgrace; he has only contempt for temptations and sufferings, 
He loses taste for everything but God. Finding no strength, no 
consolation, no repose in anything but God, he seeks only his Be- 
loved. Whether he works or eats, whether he sleeps or wakes, 
whether he converses or is silent, all his thought, all his ambition is 
to find Him Whom he loves. God is his treasure, in Him is his 
heart. In a word, he may be compared to a man violently enam- 
ored, who can only live near the creature who is the object of his pas- 
sion. — St. John Chrysostom. 

Where are you going, whom do you seek ? asked some 
one of a holy religious. ^^ I am going to God ; it is God 
Whom I seek,^^ replied he, '^ and I will not stop until 1 have 
found Him/' 

The blessed Eaymond LuUus was asked these questions : 
^^To whom do you belong? From whence do you come? 
Where do you go? Who brought you here?"' He re- 
plied : "I belong to Love, I come from Love, I am going to 
Love, it is Love which has conducted me here/' 

St. Vincent Ferrer's heart and mind were always full of 
God ; he thought always of God, he spoke alwa3^s of God 
or to God ; in walking or sitting, studying or conversing^ 



244 November. 

it was easily seen that he was with God, that he united 
himself closely to Him. 

The ardor of divine love produced in St. Louis of Gon- 
zaga, St. Catharme of Siena, St. Peter of Alcantara, St. 
Teresa, St. Philip Neri, St. Magdalene of Pazzi, St. Francis 
of Paula, and many others, works so wonderful that they 
would seem incredible if we were to relate them. 

An ambassador of St. Louis, King of France, met a 
woman in Ptolemaide walking through the streets of the 
city carrying in her right hand a pitcher of water, in her 
left a lighted torch, who was crying, " God, God, is it 
possible ?'^ The ambassador stopped her and asked what 
she meant by this. " I would, if it were the pleasure of 
God,^' said she, " extinguish hell with this water and burn 
paradise with this torch, so that God might be loved purely 
for Himself.^^ 

A religious was accustomed to say, when asked the time 
of day, ^"'It is the time to love God.^^ 

Prayer, 

Lord, I would sigh only for Thee. Grant that I may see 
but Thee, that I may feel but Thee, taste but Thee, think 
but of Thee, speak and work but for Thee. Thou art my 
treasure, let my heart repose only in Thee. 

Seventh Day. 

The perfect love of God does not consist in those sentiments of de- 
votion which we sometimes so much desire, but in a strong deter- 
mination to avoid the least sin, and to take every means for this, 
with an ardent desire to please God in all things and to procure His 
glory. — Qt. Teresa, 

St. Jane Frances wrote tto the Superior of a religious 
whom every one regarded as a soul full of the love of God 
because she experienced extraordinary spiritual consola- 
tions : '' This good girl ought to be undeceived ; she per- 
suades herself that she is much elevated in the love of God, 
and it is thought she is sublimely virtuous. I am of th§ 



Charity. 245 

opinion that these heats, these attacks she feels are from 
nature and self-love. You must tell her that the solidity 
of the love of God does not consist in tasting divine con- 
solations, but in being very exact in observing her rule, in 
practising faithfully true virtues ; namely, to be humble, to 
love to be despised, to be detached from self, and to love 
God in such a manner as to desire to be known to none 
but God alone. These are the infallible marks of true love. 
God preserve us from that sensible love which makes us 
think of ourselves alone, because it leads to death/^ 

It is said of St. Thomas Aquinas that he preserved his 
soul as pure and clean as a child of five years :; — he pos- 
sessed perfect love. 

Prayer. 

My God, I love Thee. It is because I love Thee that I 
will do nothing to displease Thee, and do all things to 
please Thee and to cause others to love Thee. 

Eighth Day. 

The love of God is the tree of life placed in the centre of this 
earthly paradise ; it has, like all trees, six different properties, 
namely, the root, the trunk, the branches, the leaves, the flowers, 
and the fruit. Let us keep this tree in our hearts, flourishing in 
every part. — Bt, Teresa, 

This saint describes this tree in an instructive and in- 
teresting manner. The roots are the virtues by means of 
which we acquire this love. There are nine principal ones: 
first, true penance and the frequent use of the sacraments ; 
second, the observance of the commandments and our 
rules; third;, the fear of God; fourth, mortification of the 
passions and desires; fifth, fear of occasion of sin; sixth, 
examination of conscience; seventh, obedience; eighth, 
humility; ninth, mercy towards our neighbor. 

The trunk of the tree is conformity to the will of God. 
The different branches are : first, a lively faith, which 
makes us see clearly that all that happens is from God ; 



246 November. 

second, a great confidence in the protection of God^ which 
sustains us in the midst of adversities ; third, ardent de- 
sires, firm purposes, and other interior acts, which is the 
road that leads to true love ; fourth, constancy, which 
keeps us always reposing under this tree. 

The leaves are graces given us for the salvation of others, 
interior consolations and delights. We give these the name 
of leaves, as they serve to ornament the tree, and cover the 
fruit in its season. In the winter of dryness and desola- 
tion these leaves fall, we feel no spiritual joy, but the love 
of God remains planted in the heart. 

The flowers are the works, the heroic virtues which the 
soul inflamed with love produces. 

The fruit is the pains, the afflictions, the persecutions 
which the soul supports with patience when God permits 
that she should be assailed, or that she sometimes imposes 
on herself in order to better serve God and to suffer in 
imitation of Jesus Christ. Such is the tree which St. 
Teresa invites us to plant in our hearts. 

A holy religious compared the love of God to a beautiful 
plant placed in a good soil, and most luxuriant in flowers 
and the fruit of good works. '' One of the principal fruits 
is the love of our neighbor.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, implant firmly in my heart Thy divine love. 
Let not this love be sterile : let it produce in time the 
fruits of eternal life, -^ 

Ninth Day. 

There are some who torment themselves in seeking the art to love 
God ; they do not know that there is no other art, no other means 
but to love Him, that is, to do what is most pleasing to Him. — Bt, 
Francis of Bales, 

It was by an admirable exactitude in observing the law 
of God that St. Vincent de Paul arrived at so great a love. 
He watched continually over himself. He Tyas mortified 



Charity. 247 

in liis passions^ jnst in liis judgments, circumspect in his 
words, prudent in his conduct, punctual in his practices of 
piety, and perfectly united to God. We might say that his 
life was a continual sacrifice to God, not only of the goods 
of this world, but also of all he had received from the 
generous hand of God, of all his enlightenments, his affec- 
tions, his desires. He desired nothing but that God might 
be perfectly known and glorified, and that His will be ac- 
complished at all times, in all places, and by all kinds of 
persons. To this end alone he directed all his designs, all 
his words, and all the actions he performed. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will not cease to do, for love of Thee, all that 
I know to be agreeable to Thee. I wish to be always 
united with Thee in heart and mind, that I may always 
act for Thy glory. 

Tenth Day. 

A person acquires the love of God by firmly resolving to do and 
to suffer for God, and to refrain from all that displeases Him; put- 
ting in practice this resolution in the different circumstances which 
present themselves, being very faithful in little things, in order to 
be better able to accomplish great ones. — St. Teresa, 

This saint, who was much opposed in the different 
foundations she made, was not discouraged; she rejoiced 
to have much to suffer. She always took counsel of wise 
persons, did nothing contrary to obedience, saying she 
would leave the foundation of a thousand monasteries 
rather than commit the least imperfection. 

St. Vincent de Paul by wounding charity and simplicity 
a little might have silenced many an insult and reproach, 
but refused to do so; during the time he had most to 
suffer he gave no signs of impatience, working always with 
greatest sweetness and perfect tranquillity. 

The Empress Eudoxie nsked of St. John Chrysostom a 
certain permission to heretics which he could not con- 



248 November, 

scientiously grant, and he boldly refused. The princess, 
angry at his refusal, sent her ministers to threaten him with 
exile and death if he did not obey. " Go tell the empress/' 
he replied, " that Chrysostom fears but one thing — that is 
sin.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, grant that I may fear sin alone. Give me a 
disposition to refrain from everything that displeases Thee, 
to work always for Thee, to suffer for love of Thee. 

Eleventh Day. 

An excellent means to exercise ourselves in the love of Jesus 
Christ is to accustom ourselves to have Him always present to our 
mind. Here are three ways of doing it : first, when you are about to 
perform any action, represent to yourself the manner in which Our 
Lord Jesus Christ lived when He was on the earth visibly; endeavor 
to have the same intentions He had, and to enter into His disposi- 
tions, with a desire to imitate Him ; second, think that He sees you 
from on high, and that He pours on you the abundance of His 
graces ; third, with all persons with whom you may find yourself, 
let your faith see in them Jesus Christ Himself. In doing this we 
perform every action with much more facility and more perfection, 
we avoid many faults, such as inquietude and impatience; still 
more, in doing a service to our neighbor we will have as much merit 
as if we did the same service to Our Lord.— >S^. Vincent de Paul. 

The saint practised the counsel he gave. He undertook 
nothing, did nothing without first thinking of Jesus Christ, 
endeavoring to imitate the manner in which He spoke and 
acted; consequently he edified all who saw him. During 
the time he lived with M. de Gondi, he honored Our 
Saviour in his person, the Blessed Virgin in his wife, the 
apostles in the priests whom he met there, and the dis- 
ciples in all other persons. This practice, he said, was of 
much benefit to him. 

A person who wished to think unceasingly of Jesus 
Christ formed the habit of seeing Jesus Christ in those 
who had authority over him. Jesus Christ priest in the 



Charily, "li^^c^ 

priests, Jesus Christ poor in tlie poor^ Jesiis Christ suffer- 
ing in those who were afflicted^ Jesus Christ an infant in 
children. In fine/ everything recalled to him Jesus Christ. 
On beholding the sun, he would say, " Jesus Christ is the 
sun of justice ;^^ on seeing a lighted torch, ^^ Jesus Christ 
is the light of the world ;'^ a lamb, "Jesus Christ is the 
lamb of God, Who effaces sin;^^ on seeing bread, "Jesus 
Christ is the living bread descended from heaven f a book, 
" Jesus Christ is the book of the just.^^ 

Prayer. 
my Saviour, be forever in my thoughts by the recol- 
lection of Thy perfections, of Thy mysteries, and of Thy 
love. Be always in my heart by holy affections, and by a 
desire to please Thee. Let me speak Thy language, live 
Thy life. 

Twelfth Day. 

Would you know the extent of your love for God ? Examine 
your desire for sufferings and humiliations. A soul grows in divine 
love in proportion as it desires to suffer and be humbled. These 
are the certain marks of this heavenly fire; all the rest is but smoke. 
— St.-Vincent de Paul. 

St. John of the Cross asked of Our Saviour as a recom- 
pense for the pains and persecutions he had endured that 
he might suffer still more, be humbled more and more. To 
suffer and he despised for Tliee^ said he. 

St. Matilda, hearing these words of the Gospel, Simon, 
son of John, lovest tliou Me more than these ? was like one 
ravished with joy. In her ecstasy she seemed to hear Jesus 
Christ say: ^^ Matilda, lovest thou Me more than all in 
the world ?^^ She replied: '^ Thou knowest. Lord, that 
I love Thee.^^ Our Saviour continued : " Lovest thou Me 
enough to suffer pains, torments, and humiliations?^^ She 
replied: "Thou knowest there is no cross that can sepa- 
rate me from Thee.'' ''But,'' said Our Lord still further, 
'' if thy torments were frightful, wouldst thou suffer them 



^50 November. 

with joy for love of Me?'' ''Yes, my God, I am ready. 
I will tliink myself happy to have something to suffer for 
Thee, Who hast suffered for me. All will seem light when 
I think that Thou for love of me hast become a Man of 
sorrows/' 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre showed clearly by his conduct 
that he was burning with the desire to suffer and to be 
liumbled; his great love for Jesus Christ gave him this ar- 
dent desire. One of his ejaculatory prayers was : " Jesus, 
my Love, I give Thee my heart ! Saviour, infinitely amia- 
ble, place in my heart Thy Passion.'' 

Prayer. 
My God, give me a love and a desire for suffering, for 
humiliation; permit no cross to separate me from Thee. 
Implant in my heart the Passion of Jesus Christ, that I 
may think it a happiness to suffer for Him. 

Thirteenth Day. 

The less desires we have, the more chanty we possess. He who 
no longer feels within himself a desire for anything possesses the 
most perfect charity. — St. Augustin. 

St. Francis of Sales said sometimes to those few persons 
with whom he ever spoke of his interior dispositions: 
" I wish for very few things, and I wish very little for those 
few. I have scarcely a desire for anything, and if I could 
be born again, I would wish to have none whatever/^ 

St. Teresa was so certain that perfect love excluded all 
earthly desires, that she exclaimed: ^^0 God, my Love, 
Thou lovest me more than I can love myself, more than I 
can understand; why should I desire more than Thou 
would st give me?^^ 

A director of souls gave this advice to one who asked him 
for direction: ^' Keep this in mind, never let these words, 
/ tvill, I tvill not, I sliouJcl liJce, escape your lips, nor let 
the sentiments these words express find a place in your 
heart. ^^ 



Charity. 251 

Prayer. 

My God, I do not desire riches, or honors, or pleasures 
in this world, I do not desire the esteem of creatures, or 
life, or health. I desire nothing of earth. I desire only 
the accomplishment of Thy will. 

Fourteenth Day. 

AccordiDg to the love we bear our neighbor, we know if we love 
God. These two loves are never separated one from the other. As 
we advance in one, we make progress in the other. This rule is 
certain. Examine your love for God ; if it be perfect, so is that of 
your neighbor. But be not of those who say they will do much for 
their neighbor and never put their hand to the work. — Bt. Teresa. 

Tertullian relates of the first Christians that they loved 
one another so perfectly that the pagans were in admira- 
tion, and said: " Consider how the Christians love one 
another, how they respect one another, how attentive 
to do a service for each other, even to die one for the 
other.'' 

St. John the Evangelist, according to St. Jerome, in his 
old age, being no longer able to walk, was carried in the 
arms of the disciples to the assemblies of the Christians, 
and from the weakness of his voice he could not make long 
discourses. He contented himself with saying: '^ My little 
children, love one another.'' Some wearied, perhaps, at 
hearing the same words, murmured, saying: "Why do you 
always give us this advice ?"' He made this reply, so 
worthy of him: " It is the precept of the Saviour; if you 
observe it, it is enough." 

St. Jane Frances, desiring that all the actions of her 
daughters might proceed from a spirit of charity, had written 
upon the walls of the halls through which they most fre- 
quently passed the qualities which St. Paul gives to this sub- 
lime virtue: ** Charity is patient, is kind; charity envieth 
not: dealeth not perversely ; is not puffed up; is not ambitious; 
seeketh not her own; is not provoked to anger; thinketh 



252 November, 

no evil/^ If it happened that one of her spiritual daugh- 
ters failed in charity, she sent her to read this sentence, 
which she called the mirror of the monastery. She often 
read ib herself in their presence, then turning to them with 
face burning with love, she would say : " If I would speak 
with the tongue of an angel, and have not charity, I am 
nothing; if I would give my body to be burned, and have 
not charity, it profiteth me nothing/^ 

Prayer. 

Lord, I will love my neighbor for Thee, because he comes 
from Thee; he belongs to Thee. I will always see Thee in 
him, pray for him, do for him all the good I can for love 
of Thee. 

Fifteenth Day. 

He Who has commanded us to love our neighbor has also told us 
the manner in which we should love him. We must love him as 
ourselves. This is the rule; we cannot transgress it without being 
guilty. It is so essential to love our neighbor in this manner, that in 
loving him in any other way different from this we do not love him 

sufficiently. — St. Francis of Sales, 

♦» 

The holy king Wenceslaus employed a great part of his 
wealth in buying the children of pagan parents, and had 
them baptized and brought up in the Catholic faith. 

A good Christian w^as accustomed to say thus to himself 
when a beggar asked an alms, or any one begged a favor 
of him, ^^If I was in this person^s place and he in mine, 
what would I wish him to do ? Let me do it, then, for the 
love of Jesus Christ.^^ 

A worthy bishop one day had a gentleman of great dis- 
tinction dining with him who spoke very uncharitably of an 
absent person. In order to give him a salutary lesson the 
bishop sent one of his servants for the man whose reputa- 
tion he was destroying. The detractor was surprised to 
hear him give this order. ^^ I have sent for hinV^ said the 



I 



Charity. 553 

bishop, ^^ that lie may answer your charges ; it would be un- 
just to condemn him without hearing what he has to say." 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that for love of Thee I may do to all in 
misfortune as I would wish them to do in my regard if I 
were in their place and they in mine. 

Sixteenth Day. 

Charity to our neighbor is a sign of predestination, because it 
shows we are true disciples of Jesus Christ. This divine virtue it 
was which caused Jesus Christ to lead a life of poverty and to die 
naked on a cross. For this reason whenever we find an occasion to 
do something for charity we should thank God. — 8t. Vincent de Paul, 

There was at one time a very learned man named Eulogius 
whose delight was the study of the sciences. God touched 
his heart with grace so that he saw the nothingness of all 
earthly pursuits^ and resolved to consecrate himself entirely 
to the service of God. He distributed all he possessed to 
the poor, and then asked of Our Lord what manner of life 
He wished him to embrace. Our Lord made known to him 
his work. One day, when finding himself in a public street, 
he saw a leper without hands or feet. Touched with com- 
passion, he promised Our Lord that he would take care of 
him, and provide all that was necessary for him during the 
rest of his life, hoping by so doing to obtain mercy from 
God for himself. He took him to his home, and for fifteen 
years devoted himself to his service. After these years had 
passed the leper, who was at first penetrated with thankful- 
ness, became ungrateful. He reproached his benefactor in 
the vilest manner, saying, " You must have committed a great 
number of terrible crimes, since you are condemned to such 
a penance. I will no longer stay with you, bring me to the 
place in which you found me. The generosity of the rich 
will furnish enough for my wants, besides, I shall see those 
who pass by.^^ Eulogius suffered much in hearing all this; 
but far from becoming impatient, he redoubled his care 



2 54 November. 

and begged Our Saviour to change the heart of the poor 
leper who had become dear to him. Never did miser fear 
more to lose his treasures than did Eulogius fear to be sepa- 
rated from his leper. At last it occurred to him to take 
him to St. Antony for advice. St. Antony showed the 
poor man how Providence had cared for him, how blind 
he had been not to see all God had done for him, and also 
the unworthiness of his conduct. He told them that 
this had been a temptation, and that they had but a 
short time to live. " You have but a short time to bear 
patiently with each other/^ he said to them. ^' Would you, 
for the forty days you still have to live on this earth, be 
separated and lose the crown which awaits you V^ At these 
words the leper was tempted no more. Eulogius was com- 
forted; they returned together to their home, ceasing not 
to bless God. When the time arrived, the prophecy of the 
saint was fulfilled. Both died the same day, Eulogius de- 
parting first. What an abundant reward was before him ! 

Prayer. 

My God, it is for Thee that I will do all the services I can 
for my neighbor. I will think myself happy to suffer some- 
thing for him. 

Seventeenth Day. 

Jesus Christ so loved our neighbor as to give His life for him. 
Our Saviour rejoices when we sacrifice ourselves to do him good. 
Everything we do for our neighbor to please God, to show our love 
for Him, is most agreeable to Him. Oh, if we understood well of 
what importance is the virtue of charity to our neighbor, with what 
zeal would we not perform acts of this virtue ! — St. Teresa. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi was accustomed to say that she 
considered as lost the day in which she did not exercise 
some charity for her neighbor. 

St. Vmcent de Paul lived but for this. He never lost an 
opportunity for practising this virtue. 

A young woman, who had always led an innocent life, 



Charity. 255 

resolved to show her love for Jesus Christ by doing some- 
thing for the poor. She was not rich, consequently could 
not give much alms. She therefore volunteered to mend 
their clothes, and for many years this was her occupation. 
Being one day alone on a road^ she met a poor person 
whom she had never before seen. ^^Miss/^ said he, ^^I 
have some news to tell you ; bless the Lord, for you will die 
in six days.^^ These words, far from troubling her or making 
her sad, gave her delight. She hastened home to tell what 
she had heard, but they persuaded her to pay no attention 
to it. " I lose nothing,'^ said she, " in preparing for death, 
besides I think it is a warning from on high, and I bless 
God.^^ She made all her preparations, certain that it was 
Jesus Christ who had spoken in this poor person. After 
six days had passed she died in sentiments of great piety, 
rejoicing that she had loved the poor. 

Prayer. 

My God, give me a great love for the poor, a love that 
will make me see Jesus Christ in them, and inspire me to 
do all in my power for them. 

Eighteenth Day. 

Oh, how great was the love Jesus Christ had for the poor I He 
chose the state of poverty, He is the Father of the poor, He considers 
as done for Himself what is done for them. It is proper, then, to 
love the poor with a special love, seeing in them the person of Jesus 
Christ, and doing all for them as if done for Him. — Si, Vincent de 
Paul, 

This saint, of whom it might be said that he carried the 
poor in his heart, upon hearing the news of a threatened 
famine, sighed deeply, saying : " Whenever I think of this 
I am afflicted ; it is not for our society, but for the poor. 
We can go out of our house and ask for bread; if they do 
not give it to us we can work in the parishes; but the poor 
—-what will they do? where will they go ?'^ 

M, Denysiot, a worthy priest of the diocese of Autun, 



256 November. 

upon the occasion of a famine deprived himself of all but 
the barest necessaries in order to help the poor of his 
parish. His one meal in the day consisted of some vege- 
tables, cooked in salt and water, and rye bread. He was the 
father of the indigent. Whenever he spoke of love for the 
poor, his words were so efficacious that they opened the 
hearts and purses of the people. His charity was so ingen- 
ious that he had in his house a kind of store where he 
kept clothes for men, women, and children, that he might 
elothe them, and also give them bread, when out of work. 
His delight was to visit the prisons, to comfort those im- 
prisoned there, to console the poor in the hospitals, and 
give them all the spiritual and corporal succor the great 
charity of his heart felt for them. He desired to spend his 
life with them. 

Prayer. 
my Saviour, Who wouldst be poor, and Who lovest the 
poor so much that Thou wilt reward whatever is done for 
them as if done for Thee, give me a great love for the poor, 
and grant that it be not a love without deeds. 

Nineteenth Day. 

It is a work most agreeable to Our Saviour to visit the sick and 
infirm, and to comfort them, as He Himself recommended this kind of 
mercy. But to perform it with greater zeal and merit, you must 
see Jesus Christ in the person of the sick, for Jesus Christ says He 
will regard as done to Him what we do for the poor and infirm. — 
S>t. Vincent de Paul. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi showed an inexpressible charity 
towards all the sick and weak in her monastery. She 
served them as well as she possibly could, solely for the 
love of God, looking upon them sometimes as temples of 
the Holy Ghost, sometimes as sisters of the angels, some- 
times as Jesus Christ Himself. 

St. Louis, King of France, served the poor upon his 
knees, with head uncovered. He saw in them members of 



Charity. 257 

Jesus Christ, united in their sufferings with their Chief, 
and nailed like Him to the cross. 

St. John Berchmans found an inexpressible satisfaction 
in being with the sick. He had the gift of making them 
esteem and love their condition. It was his custom to 
read for them something pious, and to speak to them on 
subjects that might animate their devotion towards Mary, 
the consoler of th^ afflicted. 

Prayer. 

My God, inspire me with what to say to the sick, the 
poor, and all who are afflicted, that they may better love 
the state in which they are placed. 

Twentieth Day. 

To have for our neighbor the love that Our Saviour commands, 
our hearts must be good, charitable, complacent, even at a time 
when we feel towards him a repugnance on account of some natural 
or moral defect. To love thus is to love for God's sake. The 
maxim of the saints was, that in loving and doing good we must 
never consider the person to whom we do the service but Him for 
Whom it is performed.— /S^. Francis of Sales. 

St. Jane Frances had a singular affection for those in 
whom she saw some faults, or who had given her cause to 
suffer. '' It is well that we have something to suffer,^^ she 
said. '' Our Saviour has given us a fundamental law that 
we bear with our neighbor; but if our neighbor has no 
fault, or if he does us no wrong, in what can we bear with 
him T^ She wrote as follows to a religious of her Order who 
felt great difficulty in bearing with the faults of another in 
the house: " My daughter, often reflect on these words of 
the Gospel : Jesus Christ lias loved us and luaslied us in 
His blood. Notice, that He did not wait to purify us from 
our sins to love us, but He loved us while we were yet vile 
and stained with sin; it was after He had loved us that He 
purified us. Let us love our neighbor, full of faults 
though he be, and since it is impossible to wash his impcr- 



258 November, 

fections away id our bloody let us wish to give the last drop 
for that end/' 

Prayer. 

My God, give me a heart full of charity and kindness 
for my neighbor. It is for Thee I will love him. It is 
Thou I will see in his person. Let me not forget it is an 
essential law to bear with our neighbor. 



Twenty- FIRST Day. 

Let us be careful not to complain or speak ill of those who are 
dissatisfied with us, who have no affection for us, who oppose our 
undertakings, who even persecute us, say injurious things of us, do 
us harm, calumniate us. Let us treat them with cordiality, show- 
ing that we esteem them, speaking always well of them, doing them 
a service; to save their honor let us even bear confusion and con- 
tempt if necessary. — 8t, Vincent de Paul, 

Through envy there were some who were opposed to the 
spiritual exercises St. Vincent wished to give those who 
aspired to the priesthood. To a missionary with whom he 
was speaking of this, he said: ^^This function excites their 
emulation more than their envy. Their intention is right, 
therefore let us not cease to respect and esteem them. We 
should even think we are unworthy of such an employment, 
and be persuaded that they would acquit themselves better 
than we. Let us profit by what is said to serve God with 
all our heart, and give ourselves entirely to Him.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I will never complain nor speak evil of any 
one. I will look upon my enemies as benefactors, as they 
give me an occasion to merit grace and heaven. 



Charity, 259 



Twenty-second Day. 

We should love our enemies and show them our love: first, by 
overcoming evil with good, as the Apostle says; secondly, because 
those who oppose us are rather our friends than our adversaries, for 
they help to destroy our self-love, which is our greatest enemy. — 
8U Vincent de Paul. 

Some one said to St. Francis of Sales that what he found 
most difficult in Christianity was to love our enemies. St. 
Francis replied: '^1 do not know of what material my 
heart is, or if God through His love has given me a heart 
different from many, as the accomplishment of this precept 
is easy to me. I acknowledge even that if God had forbid- 
den me to love my enemies it would be difficult to obey.^^ 
The following proves that he felt as he spoke: 

There lived in Annecy a lawyer who hated the holy prel- 
ate without any reason. He used every occasion to turn 
him into ridicule, to calumniate him, to show his hatred in 
every way. The saint, who was aware of this, meeting the 
man one day, spoke kindly to him, took him by the hand, 
and endeavored to conciliate him. Seeing his words had no 
effect, he said : ^' I perceive that you hate me, that you are illy- 
disposed towards me, yet be assured that even if you deprived 
me of one eye 1 would look upon you as a friend with the 
other.^^ Astonishing words! yet they did not soften the man. 
He made several attempts to kill the saint, firing at him 
through the windows of the episcopal residence. He even 
made an attempt to shoot him in the street, the ball miss- 
ing the saint, but striking the priest who accompanied him. 
When the senate of Chambery heard of this, the man was 
imprisoned and condemned to death. The saint did all in 
his power to change the sentence, but all he could do was to 
have it deferred, his intention being to interest the sov- 
ereign, through friends whom he knew had influence with 
him. His petition was granted, and he hastened to the 
prison, doubting not that he would gain the heart of his 



26o November. 

enemy. He informed him of the favor he had obtained 
and begged him to forget forever his sentiments of hatred. 
Incredible to relate^ instead of tears of repentance and 
gratitude^ he received insult and abuse. The man became 
still more furious when he saw the saint, his benefactor, 
on his knees before him, begging his pardon as if he had 
been the criminal. At length, despairing of doing him any 
good, St. Francis left him; handing him the paper contain- 
ing his pardon, he said: "I have saved you from the hands 
of justice, but if you are not converted, you will fall into 
the hands of God's justice, from which no one can save 
you.'' These words were prophetic. The monster soon 
after perished miserably. 

A good religious, full of true charity, was in the habit of 
going to the Blessed Sacrament whenever she received a 
mortification from any one, and saying to Our Lord : " 
my Saviour, I forgive him with all my heart, for love of 
Thee. I beg Thou wilt pardon all his sins through Thy 
love for me." 

Prayer. 

My God, I love my neighbor because Thou lovest him. 
I desire that he love Thee. I will neglect nothing to help 
him to love Thee. 

Twenty-third Day. 

We must be full of compassion for sinners. He who has no com- 
passion for tliem, and has no charity in their regard, does not de- 
serve that God will have mercy upon him.— /S^J. Vincent de Paul. 

This saint was never surprised at the faults into which 
people fell. "It belongs to man to sin," he said, "because 
he was conceived and born in sin." This knowledge of the 
great misery of man made him compassionate to sinners 
and full of sweetness in trying to convert them. 

St. Francis of Sales had so great a tenderness for sinners 
that he sometimes said: "I love wicked men, God alone 



Charity. 261 

loves them more than I/^ He sought every occasion to 
convert them^ and it was for him a source of joy when they 
came to his feet to confess their iniquities. He wept over 
them, touched at the deplorable state of their souls. 
Karely could they resist his exhortations, accompanied 
as they were with that unction of grace which his fervent 
prayers drew down upon them. 

A great sinner, who was confessing his sins as if it were a 
history he was relating, was surprised to see the saint weep- 
ing. " Why do you weep, Father ?'^ he asked. ^"^ I weep be- 
cause you do not,^^ replied the saint. Those words, accom- 
panied by so much fatherly love, touched the heart of the 
sinner, and sentiments of contrition penetrated his soul. 

Prayer. 

My God, give me a great love for sinners. It is to call 
sinners that Our Saviour came. Can I not love those 
whom He loved ? Give me a love for them, that I may be 
full of zeal for their conversion. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

Among those whom we understand by our neighbor, there is none 
who deserve this title more than our servants. They are nearer to 
us, living under the same roof, eating the same bread; they should 
be the principal objects of our love. Let us practise towards them 
all the acts of true charity. This should not be founded on the 
claims of flesh and blood, nor personal qualities, but should be all 
for God. — 8t. Francis of Sales. 

It is to be desired that every Christian woman would copy 
the admirable manner in which a certain woman conducted 
herself towards her husband, children, and servants. Sol- 
idly virtuous, there was nothing austere in her piety, 
nothing repelling, nothing but what was gracious. The 
end she proposed in all she did and said was to make vir- 
tue loved and practised for the love of Our Saviour, Who was 
the God of her heart. She never ceased to offer her family 
to God through the Blessed Virgin, to whom she had great 



262 November. 

devotion. To her husband she would say: ^^TVe have a 
great responsibility. It is in laboring for the salvation of 
those confided to us that we are securing our own salvation. 
We must give them good example and pray much for 
them.^^ At the hour fixed for rising, she went herself to 
awaken them. '^ Let us bless God^ my children; give your 
heart to God^ Who is your Father; arise with modesty, 
pronounce the holy names of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, take 
holy water religiously, kneel down and adore your Creator.^^ 
She then said morning prayers with them and all the 
domestics. After the prayers, she read for them a short 
meditation, to teach them to reflect upon the great truths 
of salvation. They offered their work for the day to God, 
desiring to walk in His presence always. She frequently 
said to her children that though she loved them much, she 
would rather hear of their death than to know they had 
committed a mortal sin. There was a time in the day for 
catechism, another for the beads, and another for spiritual 
reading — an excellent practice to feed our souls with 
heavenly nourishment, with thoughts of God, in place of 
vain, empty, and useless reading. Would that God was 
as well served by all Christian mothers! 

Prayer. 

My God, fill me with a holy zeal for the sanctification of 
those committed to my care. I will teach them their duty 
if Thou wilt help me. Grant that I may set them a good 
example and cease not to pray for them. 

Twenty-fifth Day. 

God gives to some persons a certain union of heart with their 
neighbor and a tender love for them. It is one of the grandest and 
most excellent gifts the Divine Groodness can give to man. — Si. 
Francis of Sales. 

This saint had received this precious gift. Speaking to 
one of his intimate friends, he said : '' I believe there is 
not in the world a soul which loves more cordially, more 



Charity. 263 

tenderly^ more fondly^ than I. It has pleased God to fash- 
ion my heart in this manner/' 

The holy priest Bernard possessed a tender love for his 
neighbor^ which animated him with a great zeal for his sal- 
vation. Whenever he saw approaching him some one who 
wished to speak to him^ he begged Our Lord interiorly to 
instruct him what he should say for that person's sanctifi- 
cation. Then he spoke with such effusion of heart, such 
overflowing of love, that he would be very hard of heart 
who could resist his touching words. 

A virtuous Christian, who desired to make frequent acts 
of love for his neighbor, never saluted any person without 
at the same time saluting his guardian angel, begging this 
celestial spirit to guard, protect, and guide him. 

Prayer. 
My God, give me a great love for my neighbor; let me 
always desire his salvation, and beg his angel to protect 
him. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

True love, which alone is meritorious and durable, comes from a 
charity which makes us love our neighbor in God and for God; that 
is, because God wills that we love Him, and because our neiglibor 
is dear to God, or because God is in him. It is not wrong to love 
him for other honorable motives, because he has done us some good, 
or because we see beautiful qualities in him, if at the same time we 
love him more for God than for these human motives. Nevertbeless, 
the less we love him for these natural qualities, the more our love 
is pure and perfect. This pure love does not prevent us from loving 
certain persons more than others, such as our relations, our benefac- 
tors, or those who are virtuous, when this preference comes from 
their closer resemblance to God, or because God wills it. Oh, how 
rare is this kind of love!— /S'^. Francis of Sales. 

This saint always considered God in his neighbor, and 
his neighbor in God. Hence the respect and love he 
showed to all, the civility in all his actions. It might be said 
thiit his courtesy to all was an act of religion. He wrote as 



264 Novefnber. 

follows to the Superior of a convent : ^^ Hold yourself well- 
balanced with your daughters, lest you might distribute 
your affections or favors according to their natural quali- 
ties. How many there are who are not to our taste who are 
agreeable to God! Charity considers true virtue and the 
beauty of the soul, and diffuses itself over all without par- 
tiality/'^ 

One of the principal virtues of St. Vincent d j Paul was to 
see only God in men, and in them to honor His divine per- 
fections. These considerations excited in his heart a love 
fall of respect for all, but especially for priests, because he 
saw in them a perfect image of the power and holiness of 
the Creator. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi loved creatures because God loved 
them. She rejoiced in the love He had for them, and the 
perfection He communicated to them. A short time before 
her death, she said that the great love she had for all the 
religious of the monastery had no other motive than the 
love of God. 

Prayer. 

My God, I love my neighbor in Thee and for Thee, be- 
cause Thou wiliest that I love him, because he is dear to 
Thee, and Thou art in Him. Let all my acts of civility be 
so many acts of religion. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

Oh, Tvhen ^vill that day come that Avill see us full of sweetness 
and tenderness for our neighbor? When shall we see the souls of our 
brothers in the Sacred Heart of Jesus ? Whoever sees his neighbor 
outside of this Heart is in danger of not loving him purely, con- 
stantly, or with duration. But who would not love him in this fur- 
nace of love ? Who would not be patient with him, bear with all 
his imperfections? Whom will we find unworthy of our love, when 
we know that this divine Heart burns with love for all? — Bt. Fran- 
cis of Sales. 

It was this love of his neighbor for and in the Heart of 
Jesus that made St. Francis of Sales so sweety so affable, 



Charity, 265 

patient, and compassionate to all. The bishop of Belley 
one day remonstrated in a friendly way with him for show- 
ing him such hoDors: '^ Oh, what esteem has not Jesus 
Christ for you ! I honor Him in you/^ 

**I ought not to judge poor countrymen or women/^ 
said St. Vincent de Paul, " by their exterior — by their habits 
or manners. Some of them are so gross, so terrestrial, one 
can scarcely recognize in them the face or mind of a rea- 
soning creature; but if we consider them by the light of 
faith, we shall find that they are so deeply engraven in the 
Heart of Jesus that He did not hesitate to shed His blood 
for them and to give His life for each one of them. Oh, 
how useful it is to see our neighbor in Jesus Christy to do 
what He has done for him V^ 

Prayer. 

my Jesus, in Thy Sacred Heart will I regard the soul of 
my neighbor. There is not a single person for whom Thou 
hast not shed Thy blood; there is not one for whom I 
should hesitate to give mine. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

When Kagael saw the young Tobias, lie exclaimed: " How this 
young man resembles my cousin!" Learning then that lie was the 
son of his relation Tobias, he tenderly embraced him, gave him a 
thousand blessings, and shed tears of love over him. Why did he so 
love the young man ? Not for his good qualities, for he had not yet 
learned them, but because he was the son of one who for his great 
virtues was deserving of love, and whom he resembled much. This 
is what love does when it is true. If we truly love God, we will 
also love all those who are embraced in the word neighbor ; they 
are all the children of God, and resemble Him. — St. Francis of 
Sales. 

The Emperor Theodosius^ justly indignant, resolved to 
avenge himself in a striking manner for the insult offered 
by the people of Antioch to the Empress Flacille in over- 
throwing her statue. St. Macedonius, who was bishop of 
the city, begged one of the courtiers to say to the Empe- 



266 November. 

ror for him : ^^ Prince, you have just cause to punish these 
men who have carried insolence to such an excess, but I 
beg you to reflect that these guilty men are the living im- 
ages of God. Fear to bring upon yourself the anger of 
the Lord, if you are cruel to those who are His images. 
You are incensed at the injury done to your spouse, who is 
so dear to you. Will you not inflame the anger of Jesus 
Christ ? Will He not avenge Himself for all you do to His 
children, who are so dear to Him, for whom He has shed 
all His blood V^ These words deeply impressed the Em- 
peror. 

St. Teresa said that in any affliction it sufficed for her 
consolation to meet some person, for she instantly saw in 
him the image of God Whom she loved. 

A holy religious wrote this resolution : '^ I will love God 
for Himself, and for His love serve those who are His 
images. I consecrate my heart to God and my hands to 
my brethren, that both may be united in God.^^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I take the same resolution: I will love God for 
Himself, my neighbor for God. Being the image of God, 
it is for God I will serve Him. 

Twenty-ninth Day. 

A Christian ought in a manner to have three hearts in one : one 
for God, another for his neighbor, and the third for himself. — St, 
Benedict Joseph Labre, 

This great servant of God, of whom it may be said that 
the Holy Ghost was his teacher, explains in a most admir- 
able manner these three objects of Christian charity — God, 
our neighbor, and ourselves. " It is necessary that the first 
heart, said he, be for God: pure and sincei-e, that it direct 
all its actions towards Him, that it breathe only with love 
for Him and with ardor in His service, that it embrace all 
the crosses it pleases God to send. The second heart must 
be for our neighbor: generous, fearmg no labor, no suf- 



Charity. 267 

fering in his service; compassionate, praying for the con- 
version of sinners, the souls in purgatory, consoling those 
who are afl9icted. The third heart, which is for himself, 
should be firm in its resolutions, abhorring all sin, morti- 
fied even to a life of sacrifices, giving its body to austerity 
and penance/^ The saint practised to the letter what he 
taught. Through this means he attained a perfect charity, 
after the example of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer. 

My God, let me have for Thee the heart of a child who 
tenderly loves his father. Give me for my neighbor the 
heart of the best of mothers. For myself, give me the heart 
of a judge who is most Just. 

Thirtieth Day. 

He who truly loves himself, abhors sin; he will not suffer it to re- 
main an instant in his heart. If he have the misfortune to become 
guilty in any particular, he will not defer to take the remedy 
established by Our Saviour, neglecting nothing to receive it with 
fruit. Many Christians are in hell for confessions badly made. —BU 
Teresa. 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre recommended those to whom 
he spoke to confess often; adding also, ^^But you must 
make good confessions, because many fall into hell through 
onfessions illy made. Among those who confess, there 
are three sorts: true penitents, imperfect penitents, and 
false penitents. Upon leaving the confessional tliey divide, 
and form three processions, which take different roads. 
The first are those who, before approaching the holy tri- 
bunal, have examined with care into the depths of their 
hearts, have discovered all the sins of which they are guilty, 
penetrated with sorrow, have made a sincere confession of 
them, and are determined to entirely satisfy here the Di* 
vine Justice, by adding to the penance imposed upon them, 
and by endeavoring to obtain the remission of the temporal 
punishment due to their sins by the application of the in- 



268 November. 

dulgences of the Church. If these penitents are faithful, 
they ascend to heaven the moment they die, and are placed 
in possession of eternal happiness. There are very few of 
these true penitents. The second class is composed of im- 
perfect penitents. They also are few in number. Xothing 
essential is wanting in their confession — not the examination, 
which was serious; nor the accusation of their sins, wliich 
w^as humble, sincere, and entire; nor the contrition, which 
w^as profound. But cold, and without zeal to continue to 
purify themselves still more by acts of contrition and love 
often repeated, by mortification and good works, by the 
application of indulgences, they die in the friendship of 
God, without enjoying immediately His divine presence, 
because they have not yet satisfied His divine justice. 
Their souls when separated from the body ardently sigh 
for heaven; but as nothing defiled can enter therein, this 
beautiful heaven is closed to their desires : they are con- 
demned to purgatory, to purge away in the flames the stains 
which could so easily have been blotted out in this life. 
Finally, the third sort is composed of false penitents. This 
is the most numerous class. Confession was for them, 
through their own fault, a deadly poison. All these sacri- 
legious Christians reach hell by the road which should have 
conducted them to heaven. There they will eternally be- 
wail that they made use for their damnation of what should 
have conducted them to heaven. They will cry out during 
all eternity, "Why did I not examine myself more seriously, 
why did I not accuse myself more sincerely, why did I not 
repent more truly, why did I not make sufficient satisfac- 
tion V^ This is how that blessed soul, Benedict Joseph 
Labre, spoke, full of zeal to engage others to make good 
confessions. The manner in which he disposed himself 
to receive the sacrament of penance is most edifying. 
Convinced of the great need he had of light from the 
Holy Ghost, he begged that not only his memory might be 
made clear to know his sins, but also the true state of his 
soul, his habits, his inclinations. In the examination 



Charity. 269 

which followed^ he went over the ten commandments in 
their order; also the actions of the day, reflecting on the 
places in which he had been, the persons with whom he 
had conversed, the temptations he had had, and the man- 
ner in which he had corresponded to the graces he had re- 
ceived. He then begged anew for contrition of heart; he 
grieved especially for having sinned because in sinning he 
had offended God, the tenderest of fathers, the most perfect 
of beings, and Jesns Christ his Saviour, Who had shed His 
blood for him. 

He approached with humility the minister of Christ, 
begging Our Lord to enlighten him that he might give him 
salutary advice, and that his words be accompanied by the 
unction of grace. Prostrate at his feet, seeing Jesus Christ 
in the person of His minister, he confessed his sins with 
simplicity, order, and lively sorrow. Every word from His 
confessor was for Him an oracle, and deeply penetrated his 
heart. At the moment of absolution this true penitent 
humbled himself to the dust; the sentiments of Magdalene 
weeping for her sins at the feet of Jesus were his. He fre- 
quently passed his confessions in review, and it is known 
that he made five or six general confessions. Many Chris- 
tians are in hell from bad confessions. 

Prayer. 

My God, permit that I make use of confession as a remedy, 
not as an injury to my soul. Let my confessions purify, 
not stain me still more, lest I find my damnation where I 
should find my salvation. 



DECEMBER. 

Conformity to tli^e Will of God. 
^^ Not my loill, but Thine be done.'''' — St. Matt, xxxvi. 39. 

First Day. 

The end of every virtue is to unite us more closely to God, on 
which depends all our happiness in this world. In what does this 
union properly consist ? In the perfect conformity of our will to 
that of God in such a manner that our will is never in contradiction 
with His, that we love what He loves, and are displeased at all that 
displeases Him. — St. John of the Cross. 

St. Bernard said of the Blessed Virgin that her eyes were 
constantly fixed on the good pleasure of God ; that she con- 
formed to it with promptness and love. Let us take her 
for our model. St. Teresa^ in giving an account of the 
state of her soul to her director, said : ^^ My will seems to 
me to be in such accord with that of God that all that He 
does is done expressly for it. All that happens seems to 
me to be a delicious meat that God Himself has prepared 
for me. I would not know how to desire anything else; 
this is why I find nothing bitter, nothing hard.^^ One 
day one of her religious in her presence accused herself of 
not conforming to the will of God ; St. Teresa, seeing so 
clearly how beautiful, how just and necessary it is to will 
what God wills, and to will only that, was for some moments 
immovable with astonishment. She could not comprehend 
how a creature, who is before God but a vile nothing, could 
do aught but love the holy and amiable will of his Creator. 

270 



Conformity to the Will of God. 2 7 1 

Prayer. 
My God, I desire nothing more ardently than to be 
united to Thee by a perfect conformity of my will with 
Thine. Let me love always what Thou lovest, and let all 
that displeases Thee displease me. 

Second Day. 

We deceive ourselves greatly if we think that union with God 
consists in ecstasies, ravishments, and spiritual consolations. It 
consists alone in thinking, saying, doing that which is in con- 
formity to the will of God. This union is perfect when our will is 
detached from everything, attached but to God in such a manner that 
it breathes but His pure will. This is the true and essential union 
that I ardently desire, and continually ask of Our Lord. — St. Teresa. 

St. Teresa was in a continual state of astonishment at 
the great happiness of man in being able to unite himself 
to his Creator, and the great desire of God to see us united 
to Him. 

St. Francis of Sales never ceased to admire in St. John 
the Baptist his perfect conformity to the will of God. 
^^The holy precursor/^ said he, ^^ dwelt twenty-four years 
in the desert, and God alone knew the great love he had for 
the Saviour from the time he was sanctified in his mother^s 
womb, and the longing he had to enjoy His presence; nev- 
ertheless, he remained so devoted to his work, doing the 
will of God, that he quitted it but once to see Him. Hav- 
ing baptized Him, he did not remain among His fol- 
lowers, but continued to exercise the ministry confided to 
him. God, what is this, if it be not to hold one's spirit 
detached from all, and attached to the will of God alone I 
This example delights me, overwhelms me with its gran- 
deur.'^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I will fix my thoughts upon Thy good pleas- 
ure alone, to unite myself to Thee with love. Nothing 
shall be more agreeable to me than to do Thy holy will. 



272 December. 

Third Day. 

A union with God is accomplished in three ways : by conformity, 
uniformity, and by deiformity. Conformity is an entire subordina- 
tion of our will to the divine will in all our works, and in all the in- 
cidents that happen to us, willing and accepting all that God wills, 
no matter how repugnant it be to nature. Uuiformity is a direct 
alliance of our will with the divine will, by which we not only 
will all that God wills, but we will it solely because God wills it, 
rejoicing in all that God wills, because it is agreeable to Him. 
Deiformity is a transformation in which our will becomes one with 
that of God: the human will is no more felt within us, but the divine; 
and it desires nothing but through the Uncreated Will, being trans- 
formed into it. — Father Cagliari. 

The sentiments of St. Magdalene of Pazzi upon this 
subject are most admirable. She said she would throw 
herself into the most frightful torments if she knew that 
God willed it. On the feast of Pentecost she desired most 
ardently to receive the Holy Ghost; she knew this God 
of love wished to communicate Himself to her; she sighed 
and longed for heaven, but she longed still more lovingly 
to do the will of God. She lived to accomplish more per- 
fectly day after day these words: Fiat voluntas tua. 

A holy soul presented himself often during the day to 
God, addressing Him in the following words: " Behold the 
servant of the Lord! Let all that Thou askest and desirest 
of me be done.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I will all that Thou wiliest. I rejoice to do 
what is agreeable to Thee, Let me have but one will with 
Thine. 

Fourth Day. 

Conformity to the will of God is a most powerful means of over- 
coming temptatioD, of correcting all kinds of imperfections, and of 
preserving peace of heart. It is an efl5cacious remedy for evil, and 
the Christian's treasure. This conformity contains in itself in a 
most eminent degree all other virtues. — 8t. Vincent de Paul. 

■ St. Vincent had such affection for this virtue that it 
might be called his favorite and principal one. It was the 
motive, the principle in his soul which animated all his ex- 



Conformity to the Will of God. 273 

ercises of piety, his holiest practices, and all his actions. 
When he placed himself in the presence of God before his 
actions, it was to say with St. Paul, '' Lord, what wilt Thou 
that I do?^^ If he was careful to refer all things to God, 
to listen to Him; if he sought with care to discern between 
the movements of grace and those of nature, — it was to know 
the will of God and to dispose himself to accomplish it. 
Finally, if he abhorred the maxims of the world and was 
closely attached to those of the Gospel; if he practised re- 
nouncement of self and embraced with affection all the 
crosses that the Lord sent; if he would do all, suffer all, for 
Christ, it was that he might always and with all possible 
perfection be united to the will of God and all His designs 
over him, and to obtain grace to will only what He willed. 

Prayer. 
My God, grant that I may will only what Thou wiliest; 
let me know Thy will in order that I may please Thee. 

Fifth Day. 

The angels find so much satisfaction in doing the will of God that 
if He asked one of them to come down upon this earth and employ 
himself in separating good grain from the bad, or in pulling out 
weeds from a field, he would instantly leave heaven and apply him- 
self willingly and with all his heart to that which God required of 
him. — Bl, Henry Suzo. 

He who spoke thus ardently desired to do the will of 
God. He would prefer, he said, to be the last of creatures, 
if it were the will of God, rather than be a seraph, and 
follow his own will. 

St. Magdalene of Pazzi often pronounced these words: 
Will of God, tvill of GocL She found in them inexpressible 
satisfaction. Frequently she would exclaim, " How beau- 
tiful is the will of God, how amiable !^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I believe there is nothing better than to fulfil 
with joy, with love. Thy will. What wilt Thou that I do? 
I am ready. 



2 74 December. 

Sixth Day. 

A soul that is truly submissive to the will of God is not attached 

to anything created: it knows that all that is not God is vanity and 
BolhiDgness: accordingly it has no other object, no other end, but to 
die to self, to be resigned always and in all things. — Bl. Henry Suzo, 

St. Vincent de Paul excelled in this particular point: he 
lived detached from all creatures and from himself. His 
continual desire was to conform himself to the good pleas- 
ure of God, and to adore with love the dispositions of His 
providence. 

St. Teresa wrote to her director: ^^ The actual state of 
my soul is, that I will only what God wills. The will of 
God and His good pleasure are so closely united to my de- 
sires and my inclinations that I have no other; it even 
seems that I could have no other. It is that alone I desire 
solely and perfectly. This disposition is profoundly en- 
graven in my heart. I have no need to multiply acts of 
submission to the will of God; I love all that He wills, and 
sovereignly rejoice in it.^^ 

Prai/er, 

My God, I adore Thy will, I submit myself to it, I love 
it, I rejoice to accomplish it, I desire only that. 

Seventh Day. 

As God knows what is good and useful for us, He gives to each 
of us what will tend most to His glor^', to our own salvation, and the 
good of our neighbor. We deceive ourselves, then, and consult 
our own interest but little, if we do not abandon ourselves entirely 
to His good pleasure.— ;S^. Teresa. 

The wife of St. Francis Borgia, who was very dear to him, 
being dangerously ill, Our Saviour gave the saint the choice 
of her life or death. He replied, ^^Lord, why leave to me 
a choice which is in Thy power alone ? That which I de- 
sire most is to do in all things Thy will: Thou alone knowest 
what is best for me. Do, then, as pleases Thee best, not 
only with my wife, but with my children and myself. 
Fiat vohmtas tiia/' 



Conformity to the Will of God. 275 

Prayer. 

My God, do what is most for Thy glory and most advan- 
tageous for me. I desire only what Thou wilt. 

Eighth Day. 

We ought to subject ourselves to the will of God, and be content 
no matter in what state it pleases Him to place us. We should never 
desire to leave it, so long as we know that God does not will it. — Bt, 
Vincent de Paul. 

Father Dupont said to one of his friends that he rejoiced 
in his natural defects, particularly in an impediment he bad 
in his speech. He added that he also rejoiced in the temp- 
tations and other miseries that tried him, because it was 
God^s will that he had them. " If it were the will of God 
that I lived a thousand years loaded with all kind of in- 
firmities, and in the greatest darkness^ I would be content, 
provided that I did not offend God.^^ 

St. Elizabeth, learning that her husband was killed in 
battle, addressed herself to God, and said, ^^0 my God! 
Thou knowest that I would prefer to see him to all the 
delights of the world, but since it has pleased Thee to take 
him from me, I submit with all my heart to Thy holy will. 
If by giving one hair of my head I could bring him back 
to life, I would not do it if it- were opposed to Thy good 
pleasure/^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I will rejoice in whatever happens. All that 
pleases Thee pleases me, because it is Thy will. 

Ninth Day. 

You have not attained that purity which you should have, so long 
as you are not constantly, entirely, and joyously submissive to the 
will of God in all things, even in those the most repugnant. — St 
Francis of Sales. 

The congregation of St. Vincent de Paul having met 
with ^ loss of some consideration^ the saint wrote as fol- 



2 76 December. 

lows to one of his friends: ^^ Being one of our most inti- 
mate friends^ I must acquaint you with a loss with which 
we have recently met: it is not an evil that has befallen 
us, but a favor which we have received from God, and for 
which you will help us to return thanks to Him. I call 
the afflictions which He sends us favors and benefits, 
particularly when they are well received. It is in His in- 
finite goodness that He has ordered this loss, and He gives 
us grace to accept it with perfect and entire resignation — I 
may say with the same joy we would have felt had He sent 
some great prosperity/^ 

Prayer, 

My God, I love adversity as well as prosperity, because 
it is Thou AYho sendest it. I thank Thee for all. 

Tenth Day. 

One act of resignation to the divine will in that which is contrary 
to our inclination is of more value than ten thousand words of thanks 
for that which conforms to our taste. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

The blessed John of Avila gave vent to his sentiments 
as follows, writing to one who was in affliction. He desired 
him to bless God as Jacob did, and to encourage him he 
said : '' One God ie praised in the time of adversity is 
worth more than a thousand / thank you in prosperity. ^^ 

St. Francis of Sales said to persons in affliction : "First. 
Adore a thousand times the decrees of Divine Providence. 
Throw yourself unceasingly into the arms of God and into 
His heart. Say often, Amen, so he it. Second. Often unite 
your cross to the cross of Jesus Christ, reflecting that yours 
compared to His is light and small. Third. Prostrate your- 
self before God with simplicity, saying, ^Yes, Lord, if 
Thou wiliest it, I will it, and if Thou dost not will it, I do 
not.^ Fourth. Make many acts of love to the Blessed Virgin 
and the saints in whom you have most confidence, making 
use of many aspirations of love. Fifth. Imagine that the 
Infant Jesus is with you, consoling you with His love. Sixth. 
Take your crucifix in your hand, look with love upon the 



Conformity to the Will of God, 277 

image of Our Saviour attached to the cross, kiss with 
respect this image, press it to your heart, and beg of the 
God of consolation to comfort you/^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I am, with the help of Thy grace, resigned to 
all, — to light as well as darkness, consolations or pain, pros- 
perity or adversity, life or death. 

Eleventh Day. 

Perfect resignation is nothing more than the moral annihilation of 
our thoughts and affections. We acquire this in abandoning our- 
selves entirely to God, to be guided according to His good pleasure. 
— Bl, Henry Suzo, 

St. Catharine of Genoa had reached this holy annihila- 
tion. She had neither desire nor affection for the things 
of earth, wishing only that God would do in her and with 
her as He willed, resolved to offer no resistance. She one 
day remarked : ^^ Whether I eat or drink, whether I speak 
or remain silent, whether I sleep or wake, walk or rest, I 
belong to God, I am ready to obey Him.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, direct me according to Thy good pleasure. Do 
with me as Thou wilt — Thou art the Master. I will always 
say, ^^AU is well/^ whatever Thou dost. 

Twelfth Day. 

When will the time come when we shall taste the sweetness of 
the divine will in all that happens to us, considering only the good 
pleasure of God ? It is certain that this good pleasure comes to us 
in adversity as well as in prosperity; it makes a part of one as much 
as of the other, because God loves us, and because it is for our ad- 
vantage. — St. Jane Frances, 

One of the companions of St. Vincent de Paul being dan- 
gerously ill, St. Vincent wrote to a friend regarding the 
loss the congregation was about to meet. " It appears that 
Our Lord wishes to take His share of our little society. It 



2 78 December. 

is all His : therefore He has the best right to do as He pleases 
with it. As for me^ my greatest desire is to desire nothing 
but the accomplishment of His divine will/^ In the many 
infirmities with which the saint was visited, particularly 
during the last year of his life, when he felt his end 
approaching, he was always the same, perfectly indifferent 
to consolations, sufferings, or death. He desired above all 
that the will of God be accomplished in him. 

St. John Chrysostom repeated these words so frequently 
that they might be regarded as his motto : ^' Lord, glory be- 
longs to Thee for all,^^ — Gloria tiU, Dominey propter 
omnia. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may taste in all that happens the 
sweetness of Thy divine will. Thy will. Thy will, I de- 
sire only the accomplishment of Thy will! How sweet is 
Thy will! 

Thirteenth Day. 

To abandon ourselves to God is to give Him our own will. When 
a soul can with truth say, ''Lord, I have no other will than Thine," it 
no longer belongs to itself— it is united to God.— /S^. Francis of Sales, 

Father Dupont, having promised God to do His will at 
all times and in every contradiction, often manifested his 
desire to be faithful to his promise by addressing Him in 
these words: "Lord, let Thy holy will be done in me, by 
me, over me, in all that concerns me, in the manner that 
pleases Thee, at every moment and during eternity/' 

Prayer. 

My God, I abandon myself to Thee, I give Thee my 
will. Let Thy will be done in me, by me, over me, in all 
things and forever, 



Conformity to the Will of God. 279 

Fourteenth Day. 

There are many who say to God, '* I give myself to Thee, without 
any reserve/* but there are few who practise this abandonment. It 
consists in receiving from the hands of God with a certain indiffer- 
ence all things according to the order of His providence. — St. Fran- 
cis of Bales, 

St. Vincent de Paul showed by the sweetness of his words 
and the serenity of his countenance that he looked upon all 
the events of life with equal indifference. He never lost 
sight of his great maxim, ^^ Nothing happens in the world 
but by the order of Divine Providence.'^ Into the arms of 
Providence he threw himself and abandoned himself en- 
tirely. A worthy prelate, who was struck with admiration 
at his unalterable sweetness, which nothing could disturb, 
said, " Father Vincent is always Father Vincent.'^ 

The saint, learning that a suit was about to be com- 
menced to deprive several houses of his congregation of 
some land, replied to those who spoke of it: ^^ Whatever is 
pleasing to God will take place; He is Master of all we pos- 
sess; may He dispose of it as He wills. ^^ 

Prayer. 
Lord, dispose of my goods, of my family, of my friends, 
of myself as Thou wilt, I will bless Thee; all is well that 
Thou dost. 

Fifteenth Day. 

If you give yourself to the exercise of holy abandonment you will 
make much progress. It will be with you as with those out at sea 
with a favorable wind, abandoning themselves to the guidance of a 
good pilot. — St. Francis of Sales. 

The prayer of St. Gertrude to God must have been agree- 
able to Him. She said with greatest fervor: '^ Lord, I beg 
Thee have no regard for my will, but only for Thine. Do 
with me what Thou knowest will tend most to Thy glory 
and to my good. I have no other desire but to be and to 
do what Thou wilt. No, my most amiable Saviour, let it 
not be my will that I do any will but Thine. Non mea, 
sed tua volitiitas fiat, Jesu amantissimeJ'^ 



28o December. 

Prayer. 
My God, I will only what Thou wiliest, I wish to be what 

Thou wiliest, and as Thou wiliest. 

Sixteenth Day. 

One of the effects of holy abandonment to God is tranquillity of 

mind in the different accidents of life. The means to preserve this 
is to imitate the pilots who constantly look towards the pole, that is, 
the will of God, in order to be closely attached to it. — 8t. Francis of 
Sales. 

'^1 have never had a bad day/'^ said a holy person who 
was very poor. '^ Nothing evil has ever happened to me; I 
fear neither hunger nor thirst, cold nor heat, infirmities 
nor contempt, because I receive all from the hand of 
God with joy. It is delicious to me to conform to His will. 
I unite myself to the humanity of Jesus Christ by humility, 
to His divinity by love : where then can I find evil, since I 
am united to my amiable Saviour, Who has suffered for me ? 
I am a true king, my kingdom is in my soul, because with 
the help of God^s grace I am master of my senses, interior 
as well as exterior, and my passions I treat as slaves. 
Through recollection, meditation, and union with God I 
have learned to govern myself. I have experienced that I 
can never find rest away from God; since I have abandoned 
myself entirely to Him I continually enjoy peace ineffable; 
I have abandoned myself to Him by renouncing all affec- 
tion for earthly tliings.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, I abandon myself entirely to Thee. Make me 
the master of myself, interior and exterior, and of all my 
passions. my Jesus, grant that I may be united to Thy 
humanity by humility, to Thy divinity by love. 



Conformity to the Will of God. 281 

Seventeenth Day. 

It is this holy abandonment which produces that beautiful liberty 
of spirit perfect souls enjoy. They find in this liberty all the felici- 
ty they can desire on earth, because desiring nothing, fearing noth- 
ing, they possess all. — Bt. Teresa. 

St. Francis of Sales seemed to be always as contented as 
if everything was according to his desires. During a per- 
secution which was waged against him and his society he 
wrote to Mother Chantal: "\ submit these great storms 
which have arisen to Divine Providence. Let them continue 
or cease as it pleases Him. The tempest or the calm is 
equally dear to me. If the world did not oppose our 
designs, we would not be the servants of God.''^ 

The Emperor Ferdinand 11. addressed each day this 
prayer to God: ^'Lord, if Thy glory and my salvation 
require that I become greater or more powerful than I am, 
elevate me; I will glorify Thee. If it be for Thy honor 
and my salvation that I remain as I am, preserve me and 
I will glorify Thee; but if humiliations contribute to Thy 
praise and my good, humble me, abase me, and I will glorify 
Thee.^^ 

When this thought: ^^ What will happen to-day? what 
will become of you to-day T^ came to the mind of Father 
Alvarez, he would reply: ^"^What God wills ;^^ then address- 
ing himself to God he would say : " I wish only to satisfy 
Thee.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, elevate me, humble me, according to Thy will. 
I will glorify Thee always; I desire only to please Thee, to 
satisfy Thee, 

Eighteenth Day. 

How beautiful it is to see one divested of all attachments, ready to 
practise every virtue, to be charitable, sweet with everyone, equally 
calm in consolations or in tribulations, always satisfied if the will 
of God be done. — Bt. Francis of Sales. 

This saint paints himself in the above portrait without 
being conscious of it. Not even a thread held him to any 



282 December. 

created thing ; had it been the case^ he would have cut it 
ingtantly. Knowing that time was given him only to do 
acts of virtue, he seized every occasion to put them in prac- 
tice, particularly charity, which was his favorite virtue. 
Although of a lively disposition, he was never heard to say 
a harsh word; all his conversation was seasoned with much 
sweetness, ever careful to watch over himself, that he might 
not fail in that virtue of mildness, so rare among those who 
have the charge of many affairs. He would say that it mat- 
tered little to him whether he performed one duty or another, 
provided he did the will of God. It was his equanimity of 
temper, his unalterable sweetness, his great charity for his 
neighbor, his continual union with God, to Whom he always 
submitted himself. Whom beloved so tenderly, and Whom 
he desired so ardently to see loved, that made him so dear 
to God and to man. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may not be attached to anything 
created. I renounce all disorderly affections. Grant that, 
being detached from all, I may always do with joy what 
Thou wilt. 

Nineteenth Day. 

When shall we abandon ourselves entirely to the good pleasure of 
God, subinirting our will and all our affections without any reserve 
to His dominion? Then only shall our souls be so united to God 
that we can say with the first Christians, who were so perfect : " It 
is not. 1 who live : it is Jesus Christ Who lives in me." — St. Francis 
of Sales. 

This great saint, many years before his death, willed 
nothing, saw nothing, loved nothing but God in all things, 
^^Xo, no,^'' said he, "nothiiig in the world can satisfy me; 
God alone can suffice for me.''' He was often heard to ex- 
claim, all absorbed in God : '' Lord, what is there in heaven, 
what can I desire on earth, if not Thee ? Thou art my 
portion, my inheritance for eternity/^ His great maxim 
was: '' All that is not God is nothing to me/^ 



Conformity to the Will of God. 283 

Prayer. 
My God, Thou alone canst satisfy me ; I will love but 
Thee in all things. 

Twentieth Day. 

If any one wishes to unite himself to God, he must examine and see 
whether there be anything between his soul and God which might 
prevent this union; whether he does not seek himself in some ac 
tions, whether God is truly the God of his heart. — Bl. Henry Suzo. 

St. John Berchmans having seriously examined his heart 
found no disorderly affection there. After his death a book 
was found which seems to have been the depository of the 
sentiments of his soul. He had written therein: Nulli 
ret sum affedns, et niliil Jiaheo cui afficiar — ^^I am at- 
tached to nothing created^ there is nothing to which I feel 
attached.^^ 

St. Vincent de Paul having converted a gentleman of 
great distinction, who had lived many j^ears at court and 
had been governed by the maxims of the world, advised 
him to make frequent examinations of the desires of his 
heart. He followed this advice, being convinced by his zeal- 
ous director that the less he was attached to creatures the 
more he would be united to God. He examined therefore 
successively whether his attachment to his relations, friends, 
and family was for God alone, and whether he was truly 
detached from the goods of this world, from its honors, pos- 
sessions, and glories. By this means he got on the road to 
perfection. He told St. Vincent one day that he had sac- 
rificed to God the only thing he felt he had any attachment 
for, and instantly he was rewarded for this generosity, 
which had cost him no little pain, by so great a liberty of 
heart that he no longer had an affection for anything per- 
ishable. 

Prayer. 

My God, if there is in my heart anything which prevents 
the union which should be between my soul and Thee, I 
beg Thee to destroy it. Thou alone wilt suffice. 



284 December. 



Twenty-first Day. 

When no cloud hides the sun it will necessarily enter a room that 
is exposed to its rays, provided the windows are open. In like man- 
ner God hesitates not to communicate Himself to a soul which He 
sees divested of all human affection — to a soul which has in its heart 
only what He wishes. — 8t, John Chrysostom. 

A young man came to St. Bernard, threw himself at his 
feet, and begged him to receive him among his religious, 
notwithstanding his extreme youth. ^^You will be w^ell 
satisfied with me,'"* said he. The saint, touched by the sim- 
plicity and good-will of the youth, raised him up, saying: 
" My son, bring to Our Lord a heart devoid of everything, 
that He may fill it,'^ — ^/"^?' Deo cor vacuum yUt illudDeus 
impleat. 

Prayer. 

My God, I will often examine the desires of my heart 
that I may renounce all affection for terrestrial things. 

Twenty-second Day. 

A soul that is attached to anything that is not for God will never 
possess the liberty of divine union. It matters little whether a bird 
be held by a rope or a thread. So long as it cannot break its chains, 
it matters little how light they be; it will not be able to fly. Ah! 
how many souls there are which we might compare to rich vessels 
because they are freighted with many good works, many spiritual 
exercises, and other virtues, yet never arrive at the haven of a perfect 
union with God, because they have not the courage to break some 
light chain. — St. John Chrysostom, 

^^ Death or the love of God,^^ exclaimed St. Teresa; 
*^ heaven or the love which animates the saints in heaven. 
Alas ! so long as I remain in this mortal life I will incline 
towards the earth, I will only love my God imperfectly. 
Ought I desire anything but God? Life is a death from 
which death delivers us. Let me die, let me die, that I 
may love God alone, that I may love Him perfectly. I 
die of regret because I cannot die.'^ This saint rejoiced 
each time the clock struck. "Thank God,^^ she said, ^^I 
have an hour less to remain in this place of exile. I ap- 



Conformity to the Will of God. 285 

proach my true country, that place of pure and perfect 
rest/^ 

Prayer, 

My God, Thou art the God of my heart. I desire but 
Thee. I sigh after heaven, because it is only in heaven 
that we shall love Thee perfectly. 

Twenty-third Day. 

This is the reason why, notwithstanding the many Communions 
we receive, we are not sanctified — because we do not let Our Saviour 
reign in us as He desires. He comes to us, He finds our hearts full 
of desires, of affections, of little vanities. This is not what He 
wishes. He desires to find them entirely empty, that He can make 
Himself absolute master of them, absolute ruler. — 8t Francis of 
Bales. 

St. Louis Gonzaga made every action of the week either 
a thanksgiving to God for the Communion he had received 
the preceding Sunday or a preparation for the Communion 
of the following Sunday. 

The venerable Palafox, while yet living in the world, in 
each Communion that he made proposed to himself the 
eradication of one of his faults, or the acquiring of some 
virtue. By this means he overcame what was vicious in 
his soul and advanced steadily in piety. 

Blessed Agatha of the Cross prepared herself for sacra- 
mental Communion by making spiritual Communions many 
times during the day. 

St. Teresa prepared herself for Communion by oflPering 
herself at least fifty times during the day to Our Lord, 
begging Him to dispose of her as pleased Him best. 

Prayer, 

My God, I beg of Thee to empty my heart of all vanity, 
of all affection for things perishable, so that Thou mayest 
become absolute master thereof, and do with me as Thou 
wilt. 



286 - December. 

Twenty-fourth Day. 

The most efficacious and shortest means to acquire this universal 
detachment to which Our Saviour invites us, and without which we 
cannot have perfect union, is great mortification of the senses and of 
the passions. — St. John of Hie Cross. 

This saint mortified his senses by refusing them what 
might delight them, in order to prove his love for Jesus 
suffering. He mortified his desires by choosing that which 
was most painful, most disagreeable, and most difficult. 
Desirous for mortification, either interior or exterior, 
nothing could satisfy him. '' Jesus, crucified for me, 
let me suffer and be despised for Thee.^^ Such was his 
motto. How intimate must have been his union with God! 

St. Francis Borgia often begged Our Saviour to render 
everything in life disagreeable to him, and by his mortifi- 
cation it became so to him. By this means he became a 
man of prayer, who found all things delicious and agreeable 
that Our Lord asked of him. 

Prayer. 
My God, give me the grace necessary to mortify my 
senses and my passions unceasingly, that I may acquire 
detachment from all things. 

Twenty- FIFTH Day. 

If you would desire that union with God which seeks to please 
Him alone in all things, do not lose sight of recollection in your 
manner of life and in conversation. Live as much as possible within 
your interior: think of God, Who dwells there; hasten to banish from 
your heart all that you have heard or seen from without. Your 
heart will be dilated, you will run in the way of His commandments, 
you will make it your delight to accomplish His will. — Bl. Henry 
Suzo, 

Father Alvarez appeared at onetime to have his thoughts 
so deeply concentrated in himself that some one asked him 
if anything was the matter. " I am studying to live as if 
I were in a desert in Africa; I would wish to be as detached 
from every creature as if I really dwelt there,^^ was his reply, 



Conformity to the Will of God. 287 

St. Thomas Aquinas could think only of God, could speak 
only of Him, and loved to hear Him spoken of. When in 
conversation other things were spoken of, he took no part 
in it. It could be remarked that he occupied himself in- 
teriorly with God. All that he asked was to possess Him 
Whom alone He sought to please. 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may dwell within myself, that I 
may always live in Thy presence. 

Twenty-sixth Day. 

Always endeavor to live in the presence of God by an entire aban- 
donment of 3^ourself to His divine will; and whenever you find your 
mind inclined to wander from this peaceful state, hasten to recall it, 
though in a quiet manner. — Bl. Henry Suzo, 

St. Jane Frances was naturally of a lively disposi- 
tion. In order to repress her natural vivacity she wrote 
some acts of love, faith, hope, offerings, requests, etc., etc., 
and placed the paper upon which they were written on her 
breast over her heart. She made a compact with God that 
every time she placed her hand over the paper, either night 
or day, it expressed her intention to perform all the acts 
contained therein. 

Prayer. 
My God, I desire to think always of Thee, and to say that 
I love Thee. Every time I breathe, let it be an aspiration 
which says, I love Thee. 

Twenty-seventh Day. 

God requires works, hence we must suspend our exercises of piety 
whenever obedience or charity for our neighbor demands it. The 
work that God then asks of us will conduct more speedily to Him 
than the highest contemplation.— /S^. Teresa. 

St. Clare of Montefalco practised with the greatest delight 
whatever was most austere and painful in the monastery. 
§h^ said that the gift of prayer is perfected in this manner, 



288 December. 

While St. Magdalene of Pazzi was a novice, her mistress, 
knowing her great love for prayer, permitted her to retire 
to pray at different times while the others were empioyed 
in some manual labor. But she did not make use of the 
privilege. " In performing the same exercises as the others 
through obedience,^'' she said, ^^I am sure to do the will of 
God; in doing anything else, I am rather following my own 
will, no matter how holy the exercise may be.''^ 

Prayer. 

My God, never permit me to do my own will. It is Thy 
will I would always accomplish, and with love. I am here 
but for this. 

Twenty-eighth Day. 

Our own will is what spoils and corrupts all our devotions, all our 
works, all our penances. — St. Vincent de Paul, 

This saint undertook nothing without having first con- 
sulted God, so that he might act by the movement of His 
holy will alone. 

M. Denysiot, pastor of Saint-Fargeau, accepted his parish 
only out of obedience, and when his health was impaired, 
resigned it on the advice of his confessor. Having recov- 
ered his health, the parish of Saint-Quentin was offered to 
him, and he accepted it, at the direction of his bishop and 
his confessor. In the meantime the almoner of the hospital 
died, and the worthy priest performed the duties of the 
almoner. When the office was tendered to him, he replied 
that it depended solely on the bishop ; that he would not 
make any objection. ^' The bishop has but to make known 
his wish,^^ he said, ^^and I will immediately leave my parish 
and retire to the hospital.'^ To these dispositions so ad- 
mirable and so rare may be attributed the great good he 
did. 

Prayer. 
My God, may I act only through the movements of Thy 
divine will, that Thy will, not mine, be done! Often will I 
say, " Lord, what wilt Thou that I do V 



Conformity to the Will of God, 289 



Twenty- NINTH Day. 

All the saints have sighed for death to see God in heaven, where 
His will is done always. — Bi. AlpJionsus Liguori. 

'^Let me die. Lord, that I may see Thee/^ said St. 
Augustin, — Moriavy ut te videam. 

A gentleman hunting in a forest was surprised by a voice 
singing sweetly; he sought about to discover who it was 
that sung; he found a man apparently at the point of death, 
his body covered with wounds. '' Is it you who are singing?^^ 
he asked. ^^How can you sing in the terrible condition in 
which I see you ?'^ " Yes, it is I who sing/^ was the an- 
swer; '^ I am content to suffer, since it is God Who wills 
that I should suffer. I rejoice that my life is going like a 
flame that is expiring; I will soon enjoy the happiness of 
seeing God.^^ 

Prayer. 

My God, grant that I may rejoice that my house of clay 
commences to dissolve. Soon will I be out of a state where I 
can offend Thee, and shall enjoy the happiness of seeing 
Thee in eternity. 

Thirtieth Day. 

It is necessary that we should be always in such dispositions as to 
be willing to die at the time and in the manner that God wills. — St. 
Alphonsus Liguori. 

One day St. Gertrude in ascending a hill, fell. Meeting 
nothing to arrest the fall, she soon reached the bottom of 
the hill. Providence miraculously preserved her life, and 
she was not even injured. Her companions asked her 
whether she was not afraid she might have died without 
the Last Sacraments. ^^No,'^ replied she. *'I desire cer- 
tainly to receive the Last Sacraments before death, but I 
desire more ardently that the will of God be accomplished. 
This is the best disposition in which to be found at the hour 
of deatb/^ 



290 December. 

Prayer. 

My God, I accept death because it is Thy will that I die. 
I desire to die the death that Thou wiliest I should die. 
Let me die in Thy love. I thank Thee because Thou hast 
willed I should thus die. 

Thirty- FIRST Day. 

In order that we may always do the will of God and acquire per- 
fection we must never lose sight of Jesus Christ, Who was given us 
for a model. In proportion as we copy Him we will be happy. 
Jesus Christ is the book and the mirror that we must study unceas- 
ingly. In them we will learn what to avoid and what we ought to 
practise. — St. Vincent de Paul. 

This was the ordinary, the continual practice of this 
saint. There was no circumstance in the life of Our Saviour, 
not one of His maxims^ that was not known to him, that 
was not always present to his mind. The actions of Jesus 
Christ were the rule of his life. He consulted Him before 
all his undertakings and all the decisions which he gave. 
Before speaking or acting he would say: ^'What would 
Jesus Christ say, what would He do, if placed in the same 
position in which I am T' 

Prayer. 

my divine Saviour, Thou art my book, my mirror. I 
will consult Thee always to learn what I must do. I desire 
that Thy actions be the rule of my actions. Grant me this 
grace, which I ask through the intercession of Mary, our 
Mother, the angels, and the saints. Amen. 



If all men abandon you^ God will not abandon you^ 



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